Clemson University men's basketball fell to Virginia Tech 76-66 on Wednesday night in Littlejohn Coliseum. It was a stunning result that ended Clemson's four-game winning streak, with the Tigers having won 13 of 14 games before Wednesday.
The Hokies were absolutely sharp with the ball. Jailen Bedford carried the Hokies in the first half, scoring 16 points as a team, Virginia Tech shot a scorching 59% from the floor, including 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. In the second half, sophomore guard Ben Hammond answered the call, scoring just two points in the first half but adding 17 in the second half with three second-half 3-pointers and a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line to finish with 19. Bedford led all scorers with 23 points.
Carter Welling was led by Carter Welling who scored a season-high 19 points and even returned after briefly exiting the game due to an ankle injury. Nick Davidson and Ace Buckner provided a huge spark off the bench and scored 32 of the Tigers' 66 points. Despite the bench production, the difference came from beyond the arc as Clemson surrendered 11 three-pointers, while making just five and finishing 11-for-18 from the free throw line.
The Tigers return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 14 when they travel to Duke to face the No. 4 Blue Devils at 12 p.m. on ESPN. For now, see the full recap here to understand how Virginia Tech pulled off this impressive road victory.