Clemson Faithful Showed Up and Showed Out

CHARLOTTE — The old adage about defense traveling is true. It’s talked about fairly often.

For Clemson, there’s something else that also travels: the fan base. The Clemson faithful showed up and showed out in Charlotte Thursday night as the third-seeded Tigers fended off sixth-seeded SMU 57-54 to advance to the semifinal round of the ACC Tournament.

Possession after possession, fans screamed, clapped, and even stomped. Some never sat down in the second half that saw the Tigers trail for a substantial period of time.

“That was big,” senior Ian Schieffelin said. “They gave us a lot of momentum. When we got some shots to fall and got some stops, they were loud and that is big-time in games like this. They helped us roll, and they were big tonight.”

Despite missing the entire second half with an injury, Dillon Hunter was still able to feel the energy that resonated inside the Spectrum Center.

“We love the crowd,” Hunter said. “We love the Clemson fans. Glad they came out to support us. We have been building up Clemson basketball for a while. To get it where it’s at, it’s amazing. We love Clemson.”

With Dillon Hunter sidelined, Jake Heidbreder saw 23 minutes of action in the win over the Mustangs, and for him, it almost felt like a home game in Littlejohn.

“I think it was huge,” Heidbreder said. “We got a couple of big buckets and big stops, and the crowd was definitely behind us. Having that helps in general for everything.”

For Viktor Lakhin, who was limited to 11 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, games like this one are why he decided to transfer to Clemson.

Lakhin finished with just seven points and two rebounds, but his size down low late was a big factor on the defensive end.

“This is why I came here,” Lakhin said. “It feels really good to win.

“As everybody knows, there’s no tomorrow if you don’t win today.”

Now, Clemson will face off against second-seed Louisville in the semifinals on Friday. The Cardinals knocked off the Tigers 74-64 in early January. It is one of just two ACC losses Clemson has suffered all season, and Schieffelin is anxious to get another shot.

“They kind of punked us when we went up there,” Schieffelin said. “We just have to do what we do. It is great to have another chance to play them again. We are just going to play our ball.”

The Tigers’ semifinal matchup with Louisville is set for Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the ACC Championship Game on Saturday.