NC State rallies from 12 down to edge Clemson, 78-77

Field Level Media|published: Sat 17th February, 22:22 2024

Jan 27, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard DJ Horne (0) drives as Syracuse Orange guard JJ Starling (2) defends during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. credits: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

DJ Horne scored 27 points and hit the game-winning shot with nine seconds to play as visiting North Carolina State beat Clemson on Saturday, 78-77.

The Wolfpack (16-9, 8-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by as much as 12 points in the second half but used a 16-6 run to tie the game with 3:32 remaining. Horne nailed a mid-range runner from the edge of the paint to seal the win as Clemson's response — a layup attempt from Chase Hunter — failed to connect.

NC State also got 11 points and nine rebounds from Mo Diarra, 14 points from DJ Burns and 12 points from Jayden Taylor.

Clemson (17-8, 7-7) was powered by 23 points from Joseph Girard III, 18 points from PJ Hall, and 10 points apiece from Hunter and RJ Godfrey.

The Tigers saw their three-game win streak snapped, and a stretch of six consecutive wins over the Wolfpack came to an end. It marked NC State's first win at Clemson since 2015, and the victory gave the Wolfpack a crucial Quadrant 1 win on their NCAA Tournament resume.

NC State jumped ahead by 10 points, its largest lead of the game, near the end of the first half with a 9-2 run. It was kickstarted by a 3-pointer from Diarra, which was just his eighth of the season.

After going scoreless for more than three minutes, Clemson closed the gap to four points just before halftime with back-to-back 3-pointers from Girard and Hunter.

The Tigers then carried that momentum into the second half, opening the frame on a 16-2 run to take an eight-point advantage. Girard had four points, a rebound, an assist and a steal during that crucial span — a stretch in which NC State went without scoring for about four minutes.

Moments later, Clemson would take an 11-point lead with 11:42 to play after a 3-pointer from Girard that was assisted by Godfrey. The Wolfpack then went on their game-winning run as the Tigers endured another scoring drought down the stretch.

The teams were nearly even in almost every statistical category. NC State shot better from the floor, 49.1 percent to 46.6 percent, and made one more free throw than Clemson.

—Field Level Media

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