Tobacco Road Report

By Michael

Clemson and Virginia both looked like they were on Ambien in the first half. I expected a faster paced game than the grind-it-out affair that took place. With Singletary sitting out much of the first half in foul trouble, I went into halftime thinking that Clemson should have put a bigger margin in place than the 34-30 lead they took into the locker room.

Yet the meager halftime lead didn’t come back to haunt Clemson right away. Clemson’s defense did the best job of keeping a body between the Virginia backcourt duo of Singletary and Reynolds and the basket as anyone this year. Multiple times Virginia’s offense would have to settle for contested jump shots over longer Clemson defenders.

When Singletary (11 points, 7 rebounds) picked up his third and fourth fouls in a 45 second span, I thought Clemson was sitting pretty. Reynolds (18 points) was trying his best to keep it close, but the Tigers slowly stretched the lead on the combined play of Mays (12 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists), Hamilton (16 points), and Hammonds (13 points, 3-6 3FG).

TRR then wrote the following stream of consciousness in his notebook as the second half unfolded:

• 61-47 Clemson with 4:42 remaining. Clemson in good position to move to 5-3 in conference play. Not a pretty win, but they need it after the Duke fiasco.

• Reynolds hits a three. 63-55 with 2:50 left. Doing his best to keep it respectable.

• Mays goes to the line for two. Misses both. Yikes, Shaq looks better than that.

• Reynolds hits a jumper. 63-57 with 1:55 to go. Virginia is running him off multiple screens. He had five screens set for him that possession. A double-screen on one baseline run and a triple screen on the way back.

• Hamilton misses front end of the 1 and 1. Booker called for over the back. Hmmm...

• Joseph his a three, 63-60 with 1:33 left. Ran Reynolds off screens again, but Clemson defense helped out. Singletary found Joseph on the drive and dish.

• Did Josh McRoberts put on a Clemson uniform because this looks like Duke Clemson in reverse?

• Hammonds misses wide open three, Joseph hits another jumper, 63-62! Under 1 to play.

• Clemson calls time with:37.9 on the clock. Gotta think about Hamilton here since the Cavs are certain to foul Mays if he’s open inside...Rivers steps out of bounds?!? Replay clearly shows him stepping out. Ye gods!

• Virgina ball with :31.1. Expect more of same...Singletary with ball, looking for Reynolds, but Cain and Joseph may be open due to double teams.

• Cain tip in...64-63 Virginia. Hamilton misses lay-up on other end. Refs certainly swallowed the whistle on that series of possessions. Let the kids play, but my god fellas that was brutal. This is basketball, not football.

Clemson lets the clock run out without fouling. Unbelievable. Clemson loses two tough ones in a row, drops to 18-4 overall and 4-4 in ACC play. Poor free throw shooting finally cost them, failing to capture four points on the line down the stretch.

TRR has to give a hand to the Cavs. This was a gritty performance on the road when they had nothing going all game and had no business being there at the end. The win pushes them to 13-6 overall with a very respectable 5-2 ACC record. This road win against a No. 17 opponent will help wipe away those stinkers to Appalachian State and Utah.