Clemson Crowned Charleston Classic Champions as they topple Georgia in OT.
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The Clemson Tigers (6-1) defeated the Georgia Bulldogs (6-1) by a final score of 97-94 in thrilling overtime fashion to become champions of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic – Palmetto Bracket and capped off a statement weekend for the Brad Brownell led squad. This is the third Charleston Classic championship in the five years that the Tigers have participated, most recently bringing home the trophy in 2023.
Entering the contest, the Bulldogs were known for their chaotic pace and ability to force turnovers as Georgia entered the contest 5th in the NCAA with 12.9 turnovers forced-per-game and led the nation in fast break points, averaging a frantic 32.8 points-per-game. The Tigers immediately fell into the trap of playing to the Bulldogs strength with their inability to handle the full court press early as Georgia forced 5 turnovers in the first 7 minutes of play and would finish the half with 8, which was more than Clemson’s season average of 7.2 per game coming into the contest.
After a Brad Brownell timeout when the Georgia lead ballooned to 10 halfway through the first half, the Tigers made the adjustment to slow down their offense and made an effort to get the ball into the paint on every possession where Clemson had the advantage with strong play from Carter Welling and RJ Godfrey. 6 consecutive points from RJ Godfrey cut the lead to 2 as Clemson began to play some pressure defense of their own. After matching Georgia’s defensive intensity, Georgia turned the ball over 8 times of their own in the half, and a Zac Foster corner 3-pointer gave Clemson their first lead of the half with under 2 minutes remaining. The Tigers would enter the half with a 1-point lead at 41-40.
The second half saw both teams trade runs. Clemson built a 10-point cushion midway through the half thanks to three 3-pointers from Jestin Porter, only for Georgia to storm back with a 13–2 run to take the lead with under 11 minutes remaining. The 13-2 run was sparked by Blue Cain as he drilled a 3-pointer and assisted on another forcing a Clemson timeout, as the Clemson 10 point lead evaporated into a 3 point deficit, 60-57.
With the half winding down, foul trouble for both teams would cause a slowdown in play as both teams entered the bonus with around 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. The battle at the free throw line kept the game within 5 points up to the final minutes, and a Kareem Stag slam dunk with 12 seconds remaining would tie the game at 80. Clemson would find Jestin Porter to the left of the basket for a mid-range jumper to win the game, however, the ball fell off the rim after multiple bounces that felt like an eternity, and the game would go to overtime.
In the extra period, Clemson’s offense would assert its dominance as Butta Johnson delivered a clutch three-pointer and a thunderous dunk, while Dillon Hunter added a key layup. Georgia’s Blue Cain responded with a pair of deep threes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Clemson’s late-game execution, especially Dillon Hunter as he went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to seal the victory for the Tigers. The Tigers scored 17 points in overtime on 5-of-7 shooting and made 6-of-8 free throws to put the contest away.
Jestin Porter led the Tigers in scoring on the afternoon with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Clemson had five other players in double figures as Dillon Hunter, Butta Johnson, RJ Godfrey, Carter Welling and Zac Foster scored 16, 13, 12, 11 and 11 respectively. Nick Davidson finished with 6 points and 9 rebounds in his most impressive game of the season for the Tigers. Clemson shot 46% from the field, including 44% from three-point range, making 11-of-25 shots, and outrebounded the bulldogs 45-35.
Clemson will return to campus and enjoy a nice week off as they return to action on Black Friday against Alabama A&M at 7:00pm in Littlejohn Coliseum. Be sure to sound off in the comments below on the championship performance and stay tuned to Shakin the Southland for all of your Clemson Basketball coverage.
