Clemson falls to Iowa as Tigers’ March Madness ends in first round
· Yahoo Sports
For the second year in a row, Clemson men’s basketball seas their NCAA Tournament run end almost as soon as it began.
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This time, it was Iowa that sent the Tigers home, pulling away late for a 67-60 win in the South Regional in Tampa. Clemson never fully recovered from a rough offensive start, and issues on the glass only made things tougher as the game wore on.
Iowa set the tone early and never trailed. The Hawkeyes built a double-digit lead in the first half while Clemson struggled to find any rhythm offensively. Kael Combs led the way with 15 points, while Bennett Stirtz added 14. Alvaro Folgueiras provided a major lift off the bench with 14 points of his own.
Clemson leaned on R.J. Godfrey, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Butta Johnson added 11. Jestin Porter chipped in nine points. It marked the final college game for all three.
The Tigers (24-11) dug themselves into an early hole, shooting just 5-of-20 over the opening stretch as Iowa jumped out to a 22-10 lead. Clemson did manage to settle in late in the half and cut the deficit to seven by the break, but the offense never found consistency.
Even when Iowa cooled off, Clemson couldn’t fully capitalize. The Hawkeyes went more than seven minutes without a field goal late in the second half, yet the Tigers still couldn’t break through.
A late push gave Clemson a chance. Nick Davidson finished at the rim, then Dillon Hunter, Asa Thomas and Porter knocked down three straight shots from deep to trim the deficit to five with just over five minutes to play. The Tigers later got within four, but that was as close as it would get.
Iowa controlled the game where it mattered most — on the glass. The Hawkeyes finished with 15 offensive rebounds and turned those extra opportunities into 16 second-chance points. Clemson had multiple chances late to cut further into the lead but couldn’t secure key rebounds.
After Clemson cut the deficit to two early in the second half, Iowa responded with a run that pushed the lead back into double digits. Folgueiras sparked that stretch, scoring seven straight points as the Hawkeyes built their largest advantage of the night at 51-37.
From there, Clemson was stuck chasing.
The Tigers showed flashes, especially during a brief stretch where they found some offensive rhythm and cut the lead down, but every time momentum seemed to shift, Iowa had an answer — whether it was a timely shot, a trip to the free-throw line, or another offensive rebound.
Clemson’s defense did enough to keep things within reach, but the offense never matched it. The Tigers finished just 10-of-27 in the first half and missed several point-blank looks around the rim that could have changed the flow early.
Despite taking care of the basketball with only three turnovers in the first half, Clemson couldn’t overcome the shooting struggles and rebounding gap.
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The loss also continued Clemson’s struggles in Tampa, where the program is now 0-4 all-time in basketball games. It marked the program’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, with the Tigers now holding a 14-16 record in tournament play.
Under Brad Brownell, Clemson has now made six NCAA Tournament appearances, the most in program history for a head coach, and has reached the field in three straight seasons for just the third time ever.
But this one ends the same way as last year — with an early exit and plenty of what-ifs.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball loses to Iowa in first round of NCAA Tournament