The Clemson basketball team blasted Western Carolina in the 2017 season opener. Here is the final score and analysis from the Tigers’ win.
Clemson basketball started the season off on the right foot with an 85-57 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Friday.
The Tigers shot 50 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Box Score:
Donte Grantham led all scorers with 14 points. He also had five rebounds. Game DeVoe and Elijah Thomas each added 11 points for the Tigers.
Marcquise Reed added 10, as well.
Analysis:
Clemson led just 22-20 with 7:13, but then went a huge 19-0 run and went into halftime up 44-22.
In the second half, the Tigers were able to set the cruise control and play a lot of guys. Every single player that got in the game other than two scored.
Overall, I don’t think you could have asked for much better to open up the season. LittleJohn certainly wasn’t packed, so that may be an area of concern going forward. But normally the season-opener doesn’t have a ton of fans anywhere.
The offense looked really good and the defense was solid. The Tigers looked dominant and that’s what you want to see if you’re a Clemson basketball fan.
Obviously, the season is long and we’re just getting underway. There’s still a lot of basketball to be played and Western Carolina isn’t necessarily the toughest opponent, but I’ll never complain with scoring 85 and hold an opponent in the 50s.
Next: Q&A with FSU experts previewing Tigers vs. 'Noles
What’s next?
Clemson basketball will host NC A&T at 2 p.m. Sunday. After that, the Tigers will head on to the Gildan Charleston Classic to take on Ohio on Thursday.