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Clemson, Brad Brownell go crazy in locker room after upsetting Duke

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•02/08/25
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Brad Brownell (Grant Halverson | Getty Images)

The Clemson Tigers pulled off a stunner on Saturday night, taking down the No. 2 ranked Duke Blue Devils in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers won 77-71, thanks to big man Viktor Lakhin, who led the way with 22 points. Following the big win, Clemson and Brad Brownell erupted in the locker room. There was a shower of water bottles that ensued.

Clemson stuns Duke in ACC showdown

Duke was the lone undefeated team remaining in the ACC. Talks of getting throughout the conference slate without a blemish were certainly there, winning the first 12. However, Clemson put an end to any of it with a massive upset of the Blue Devils from Littlejohn Arena.

This game had serious ACC regular season title implications as well. Clemson currently has two conference losses on the resume and falling three games behind Duke might be a mountain too big to climb. Earning the win now means the Tigers, along with the likes of Louisville, will be able to compete for a championship down the stretch.

Scoring from the starting lineup is how Clemson wound up pulling off the upset. Four of the five starters finished in double figures, as Viktor Lakhin led the way with 22 points on 9-12 shooting. The three-point shot was not where a lot of scoring came from Brad Brownell‘s squad, only attempting 10 from deep.

Efficiency inside the arc was the name of the game, shooting 63.4.8% on two-point shots.

Clemson had a huge advantage on the glass too, finishing +11 over Duke. Eleven offensive rebounds were massive and led to multiple second-chance points. Without them, Clemson is not in the game and heading home in a sour mood.

With just under 20 seconds remaining in the game, Duke did have a possession to potentially tie or take the lead. Jon Scheyer put the ball in the hands of Cooper Flagg, unsurprisingly. Flagg was attempting to get downhill but wound up slipping on the court. He was called for a travel, essentially putting the game to bed. Certainly a tough way to lose a game for Flagg and Duke.

It’s now the second time a top-ranked team has been taken down on Saturday. No. 1 Auburn fell earlier in the day, losing at home to Florida. Duke dropping this one to Clemson means somebody brand new could take the top spot in the AP poll set to be released on Monday.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.