Clemson holds off The Citadel in hoops season opener

With preseason All-ACC selection PJ Hall out, Clemson needed someone to step up down low in its season opener against The Citadel on Monday.

Sophomore Ian Schieffelin was up to the challenge, scoring 20 points and finishing with 14 rebounds as Clemson held on for an 80-69 win. The performance was the best of Schieffelin’s career to date.

“It felt good to be able to dominate the game. With PJ out, somebody’s got to step up,” Schieffelin said. “Tonight it was me.”

The Georgia native came off the bench to open the game. However, he started the second half and finished with 31 minutes.

The matchup was a good one for Schieffelin as The Citadel played four guards and a forward for much of the game.

“Obviously Ian I thought was a major factor for us,” Brownell said. “He’s got good bounce, got good legs to him, got good hands. … Thankfully he played very well and was up to the challenge.”

Chase Hunter led the Tigers with 23 points and 7 assists, while Hunter Tyson added 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Hunter has moved into Clemson’s starting point guard role and looks comfortable as someone who can score from the position or set up his teammates.

“Our guys have a lot of confidence in him. He made some terrific plays, not just scoring, but passing the ball,” Brownell said. “He can get to different spots on the court and put pressure on the defense. … I thought that was a big factor.”

The game was back and forth early, and The Citadel led by four points in the first half.

However, Clemson finished the first half strong and took a 45-31 lead into the break.

The Citadel didn’t go away, though.

After Clemson pushed its lead to 18 early in the second half, the Bulldogs battled back to cut the lead to six with about four minutes remaining.

Clemson played well late to put the game away.

“Our guys made a lot of good plays down the stretch,” Brownell said. “Really good win against a gritty team.”