Maybe it’s because the chalk has been coming out much slower lately that it doesn’t quite seem like the Tigers should have 22 wins. But they do. And they got number 22 last night against East Tennessee. I’m not saying it was pretty — I wouldn’t know because I didn’t watch — but Clemson, who was favored by 17, managed to win by just 7 over the much weaker ETSU team. And it was even closer than the final score makes it appear because ETSU had a 1 point lead with 6:20 left in the game.

This game came down to rebounding. The Tigers racked up 49 (or maybe 50 or 51 depending on which stats you consult) to ETSU’s 32. That rebounding differential made up for dismal 38% shooting. The stats remind me of the early season win streak when the team regularly won the rebounding battle in decisive fashion.

The best news may be that the Tigers have now won 3 of the last 4 (haven’t been able to say that for the last two months) and built up a little bit of momentum and hopefully a little bit of confidence.

Next up in the bracket is #4 seeded Ole Miss, who claimed a 14 point victory over Appalachian State. For what it’s worth, Clemson beat App State 79-49 nearly 4 months ago back in mid-November. There are 3 other common opponents between the two teams, thanks primarily to Clemson playing 3 SEC teams. Clemson beat Miss State by 3 at home, USCe by 19 in Columbia, and Georgia by 15 at home. Ole Miss, on the other hand, lost by 10 at Miss State but won by 12 at home, lost by 13 in Columbia, and won by 18 at home against Georgia. I think the spread will be about 8 or 9, but I doubt they’ll cover.

The game is set for Monday at Littlejohn Coliseum at a yet-to-be-determined time.

Posted on Thursday, March 15th, 2007 at 10:05 am by Broken Gnome

Filed under Basketball.

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