Ace Buckner absolutely erupted for a career-high 26 points Friday night, powering Clemson to an 82-73 victory over American at Littlejohn Coliseum. It wasn’t an easy win, with American shooting hot all night, but when the Tigers needed an answer, Buckner stepped up huge, especially after halftime. This sophomore guard is quickly becoming the guy you can count on.
Buckner Drops a Bomb When it Counted Most
Seriously, this kid is on a roll. Buckner dropped 19 of his 26 points in the second half, building on a 20-point performance in the season opener against Stetson. He was unconscious from the field, hitting 9-for-14 overall and an insane 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Both of those marks are new career highs in made field goals and made threes. You want to talk clutch? When Clemson was clinging to a 51-46 lead, Buckner took over, scoring the Tigers’ next 10 points all by himself. That run was pure game-changing offense, creating the separation Clemson needed against an American squad that just wouldn’t quit. They were threatening from the perimeter all game, but Buckner made sure they couldn’t close the gap.
Tigers Hold Off a Pesky American Squad
American didn’t make it easy, that’s for sure. They were draining threes in the first half, knocking down seven of them to keep it close, only trailing 39-35 at the break. Their leading scorer, Madden Collins, dropped 23 points on 10-for-20 shooting, and the Eagles finished a blistering 13-for-28 from deep as a team. But Clemson had other answers too. After American pulled within six points in the second half, the Tigers responded with a crucial six unanswered points, pushing their lead to 69-57 with 7:10 left on the clock. Liutauras Lelevicius was another huge factor, hitting five of his seven 3-point attempts and recording his first Clemson double-double. Dylan Faulkner chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Cole Certa added 10 points. Clemson hit 12 of their 27 attempts from deep, showing they can keep pace.
Clemson now stands at a solid 2-0, and they’re looking to keep that momentum going. They’ll continue their season-opening homestand Monday against North Dakota. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. You know we’ll be watching to see if Buckner keeps this incredible start rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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