Brad Brownell says winning at Florida State 'means a lot'

No. 24 Clemson escaped Tallahassee with a narrow, one-point victory thanks to the late-game heroics of Chase Hunter, defeating Florida State 82-81. The Tigers have had trouble in the past with the Seminoles on the road, securing their first win at Florida State since 2015, which head coach Brad Brownell discussed after the game.

“It means a lot, it’s a hard place to play,” Brownell said of overcoming Florida State. “Leonard (Hamilton) and his staff have done an unbelievable job here over the years, tremendous program. And it’s hard to beat these guys, we haven’t had much success here, last year we lost a one-pointer, a couple years before that mabye we lost a two-pointer, but it’s a tough place to play. And our guys, we’re highly motivated. I thought we were hungry, I thought we were prepared.”

Saturday’s win also extended the Tiger’s conference record to 10-1, still standing at the top of the ACC rankings. Hunter had a career-high 26 points for Clemson and made the play of the game when it mattered most.

Down two points with 8.5 seconds left, Ian Schieffelin threw Hunter an inbound pass that he took coast to coast all the way for a game-winning three-point play. Hunter’s made layup tied the game up with 4.5 seconds remaining, and he had ice in his veins as his clutch free throw make gave the Tigers the lead they needed to win.

Hunter’s outstanding performance was major for the Tigers, but one that Brownell even admitted that he didn’t expect coming after he missed their last three games with a foot injury.

“I wasn’t sure if Chase would play as well as he did, to be honest on Thursday his practice was probably just okay at best. But then yesterday he practiced much better and had a lot more juice and I think felt good. And then this morning I could tell he was very excited, like he was just happy to be back, it’s been two weeks and he was a difference maker,” Brownell said.

It was a good night to be a Hunter, as Clemson forward Hunter Tyson led the team in points with 27. He helped the Tigers initiate their offense early, scoring 17 first-half points along with 10 rebounds to achieve his third double-double of the season.

Clemson finishes their road trip with a Tuesday night matchup against Boston College, as they’ll look to remain the top dogs of the ACC behind the strong play of the Hunters.