Clemson basketball fell to Florida State on Saturday afternoon, 70-65, marking a fourth straight loss and severely damaging any March Madness hopes.
The game started incredibly slow, with neither team able to find a rhythm through the first seven minutes. The Tigers jumped out to a 36-33 halftime lead thanks to three 3-pointers by Ace Buckner in a two-minute span.
Buckner finished with 15 points, leading Clemson, while Dillon Hunter and RJ Godfrey also scored in double figures.
Clemson welcomed back former Tiger Chauncey Wiggins and held him to just 7 points in 28 minutes.
The Tigers had no answer for Florida State’s Robert McCray V, who exploded with 29 points and six rebounds, scoring nearly every Seminole point over the final 10 minutes.
It was McCray’s 3-pointer that gave Florida State the final lead, followed by two made free throws that officially put the game out of reach.
In a tightly contested battle, Clemson struggled to find its shooting touch, finishing 30% from three and just 38% from the field.
It’s been a tough stretch of play for the team and head coach Brad Brownell. The last time Clemson lost at least four straight games was in February 2022, when the Tigers dropped six in a row.
“Since the second loss, I’ve been asked, you know, that same question. And it’s, you know, I don’t think we’re panicking … we’re just trying to work and get better and play better,” Brownell said after the loss.
The Tigers look to finish strong with three games remaining in the regular season, two of which are at home. They will face No. 21 Louisville on Feb. 28, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.