Clemson coach unhappy with lack of free throws in close loss to Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — Clemson came up just short of pulling off an upset Tuesday night at Duke.

The Tigers fell 71-69 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, losing a back-and-forth game by a possession.

A big difference in the game was the free throw disparity as Duke attempted 13 free throws, compared to one by Clemson.

The only free throw attempted by a Clemson player came with 12:42 in the game when Alex Hemenway missed while attempting to complete a three-point play.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell was asked after the game if he was surprised by Clemson’s lack of free throw attempts, despite spending so much time playing in the paint. He made it clear that he was.

“Uh, yes,” Brownell responded. “And it’s happened here before, too.”

Clemson was searching for just its fifth all-time victory at Duke. The Tigers are now 4-65 playing the Blue Devils in Durham.

Had Clemson come out on top, it would have been a huge win for a team that has been up-and-down throughout the year. Instead, the Tigers dropped to 11-9 (3-6).

PJ Hall led Clemson with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but he was only 6 of 21 from the floor. Hunter Tyson added 13 points, while Chase Hunter finished with 12.

Paolo Banchero led the way for Duke, finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Banchero scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half, including a bucket in the paint with 10 seconds remaining to give Duke a two-possession lead.

Clemson now gets a break before hosting Florida State next Wednesday.

Two of Clemson’s best players in Tyson and Hall are dealing with injuries, and Brownell believes the time off will be good for them. Still, he wouldn’t mind if the Tigers had an opportunity to carry forward their momentum.

“PJ and Hunter Tyson for us need rest. Both guys are playing through some physical ailments that you get this time of year,” Brownell said. “We just don’t want to lose our momentum. … The last two games, Pittsburgh we won, we played well tonight. We’d rather be playing Saturday. But we’ve got some time. We need to heal our wounds.