The Most Heartbreaking NCAA Tournament Loss in Clemson History
By Eddie Becker
Nothing beats March Madness. The drama, the unreasonably high hopes for 68 different teams converging at once, and the buzzer-beaters that become YouTube videos replayed thousands of times are all part of what makes the NCAA Tournament great. It’s one of the best times of the year for any sports fan, especially if your team wins. If you’re on the losing side of late game heroics, however, March can leave a bitter taste in your mouth.
So what if I told you that Clemson basketball had experienced an even more unbelievable (and much more heartbreaking) loss than their NIT game Tuesday night against Oakland?
In the 1989-90 season, the Clemson Tigers boasted one of their best basketball teams in school history. Lead by future NBA mainstays Dale Davis and Elden Campbell, Clemson won 25 games. Under the direction of Cliff Ellis, the Tigers won the ACC regular
season title going 10-4. They didn’t lose a game at Littlejohn the entire season. Their final game there during the season was a huge win over #5 Duke, giving them sole possession of first-place in the ACC. It’s one of the biggest wins in regular season history for the Tigers and had set them on the national stage as dark horse title contenders. The Tigers were bounced in the second round of the ACC tournament, but their impressive regular season and gotten them the credibility to be given a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament’s East region.
The 1990 NCAA Tournament
The 1990 NCAA tournament featured a bevy of storylines. There were the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, led by superstars Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon trying to win their first title. There was the tragic case of Loyola-Marymount, whose star Hank Geathers died during a game in the West Coast Conference tournament, making a magical run to the Elite 8. And for Clemson fans, there was the story of the most heartbreaking loss in program history.
As a 5 seed, Clemson began the tournament playing 12 seed BYU. In a tight, low-scoring contest, Clemson squeezed out just enough points from leading scorer Elden Campbell (15) and managed to win the game 49-47. In the second round, Clemson matched up with Lasalle. The Explorers were loaded with future NBA players including Doug Overton, Lionel Simmons, and Randy Woods. Lasalle held a 16-point lead at the half and looked to be on their way to the Sweet 16. Down by as many as 19, Clemson clawed its way back and pulled off an incredible 79-75 win. It was the fourth time that season Clemson overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to win a game. The win for Clemson snapped Lasalle’s 22 game winning streak, the longest in the nation.
The Sweet 16
Up next for the Tigers was a regional semifinal matchup with Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies. UConn came into the game as the 1 Seed in the East region, ranked #4 in the AP poll. They featured their own handful of future NBA players in Chris Smith, Scott Burrell, and Tate George.
UConn had won 25 regular season games, not to mention the Big East tournament where they knocked off powerhouses Georgetown and Syracuse. Playing Clemson wouldn’t scare the Huskies at all.
Having a 9 point lead at the half, UConn sprinted to take as much as a 19-point lead in the second half. Clemson’s season appeared over. But up until the closing seconds, Clemson had gone on a 25-8 run and taken a 70-69 lead with a second to go. The Tigers were one second away from an Elite 8 matchup with Duke.
A Clemson miss on a free throw with 1.6 seconds left was rebounded by UConn’s Burrell, who immediately called a timeout. The Huskies had one second to make a miracle happen.
Burrell inbounded the ball. Heaving it over the outstretched arms of 6-11 Elden Campbell, Burrell found Tate George 94 feet away down the court. George caught the ball, turned around, and shot a 16-foot jumper.
Nothing. But. Net. UConn wins, 71-70.
The Aftermath of Heartbreak
The camera panned to the faces of Huskies’ players running on the court. It cut to Elden Campbell and then Coach Cliff Ellis, both standing with a look of uncertainty as to what had just happened. I remember as an 8-year-old watching the game with my dad, stunned at the ending of what seemed to be another amazing Clemson win.
A magical season for the Tigers ended on a s
our note. Two days later, UConn too tasted that sting, losing to Duke on a last second shot. No matter who you are, March Madness can be a roller coaster of emotions.
For all the times over the years that Clemson football has provided us with heartbreaking moments, no sports moment in Clemson history captures the emotion and gut-wrenching sting of loss quite like that Sweet 16 loss to UConn. But as tough as it was to watch, I’d give anything to have the Tigers back in the Big Dance again.