Winning a national championship requires making clutch baskets, and the No. 6 Clemson Tigers did just that Thursday night in a Sweet 16 matchup with the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats.
The Tigers watched as the Wildcats fought back late in the second half to take the lead, but they held off a late surge to win 77-72 and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson University entered the second half with a 39-31 lead, but with 16 minutes and 33 seconds left, Arizona scored a one-one hit with Caleb Love, making it a 43-point tie.
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Chase Hunter (1) of the Clemson Tigers hits Jayden Bradley (0) of the Arizona Wildcats during the second half of the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 28, 2024. and drive. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
However, the Tigers were unfazed by the momentum. They continued to make shots, especially in the final stages, to win the game.
The lead was 68-63 with 2:23 left as both teams started exchanging buckets. P.J. Hall’s free throws gave Clemson a five-point lead, but Oumar Baro’s layup made it a three-point lead.
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With 1:05 left, Clemson knew they needed to force Arizona to miss the free throw and get a down. However, Arizona’s Jayden Bradley sank a 3-point shot to make it a two-point lead with 52 seconds left in the game.
All of that momentum was on the Wildcats’ bench. But after a timeout, Chase Hunter got the biggest bucket of the night, sinking a layup while getting fouled on an and-one.
Clemson Tigers player Ian Schiefferin (4) hits Arizona Wildcats player KJ Lewis during the second half of the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 game at Crypto.com Arena on March 28, 2024 in Los Angeles. Driving with (5 years old). (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
He made the free throw to make it a 5-point lead again. Love hit a quick jumper with 16 seconds left and Arizona took advantage of the opportunity, but Dillon Hunter made a layup just five seconds later.
Three of Clemson’s five starters scored in double figures. Chase Hunter led the way with 18 points and Hall had 17 points.
Love’s shooting performance was surprisingly poor for Arizona, going 0-of-9 from beyond the arc and 5-of-18 overall. He finished with 13 points. Barro finished with a team-high 15 points and 15 rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
PJ Hall of the Clemson Tigers makes a dunk in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats during the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 28, 2024. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
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Clemson will wait for the winner of No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Alabama.
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