By Pete Icaobelli
Associated Press
CLEMSON, S.C. ó Clemson senior Demontez Stitt was not used to trailing by so much at home. So the senior point guard helped put together the best Atlantic Coast Conference comeback Littlejohn Coliseum had ever seen.
Stitt had 17 points, including nine in a crushing, 16-0 second-half run as Clemson overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat North Carolina State 60-50 on Tuesday night.
The Tigers (14-6, 3-3) had lost road games at North Carolina and Maryland last week and looked like they had not recovered to fall behind 31-12 with about 14 minutes gone.
But thatís when first-year Tigers coach Brad Brownell gathered his players to boost their spirits and make sure they knew there was plenty of time to regroup. ěMaybe I was little more demonstrative than that,î he said.
Whatever tone Brownell took seemed to work.
Clemson outscored the Wolfpack (12-8, 2-4) 17-3 the rest of the half to turn a potential blowout into a manageable 34-29 deficit.
N.C. State appeared to have rallied from the Tigersí first-half body blows, getting two 3-pointers from Scott Wood to extend the lead to 40-31.
But Clemson pushed forward again, using its 16-0 run to take control for good.
Brownell was not satisfied with the early play of his two starting seniors in Stitt and forward Jerai Grant. Stitt tried to do too much while Grant was listless on the inside.
Both pledged at halftime to adjust their games ó and the Tigers took off.
ěI knew once me and Jerai got started itíd be hard to stop us,î Stitt said. ěEspecially with guys hitting shots and guys making plays.î
Clemsonís biggest plays came from Stitt and Grant.
Stitt had a drive and a putback to cut N.C. Stateís edge to 48-47. Then Grant grabbed his own miss and got fouled for a go-ahead three-point play.
Stitt followed with a three-point play of his own to increase the lead. By the time Devin Booker broke free for a jam, Clemson was ahead 59-48 and cruising.
It was the largest comeback against an ACC opponent in Littlejohnís 43 seasons, surpassing a 1970 home win against Wake Forest where the Tigers trailed by 16 points before winning 105-95.
ěI knew we were going to come back,î Grant said. ěIf we could turn the defense up, turn the pressure up, weíd be fine. Thatís what we did.î
N.C. State was shooting 66.7 percent in the first half to take its big lead. As hot as they were early, the Wolfpack were ice cold at the end. They scored only 16 points in the second half and had just one bucket over the gameís last 8 minutes.
The Tigers ěknow what type of effort they needed to get back in the ballgame,î Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said. ěIt showed a lot of character and a lot of toughness.î
N.C. State fell to 0-3 in ACC road games this season.
The Wolfpackís only true victory on an opponentís homecourt this season came last month at Elon. However, they ended a two-game losing streak by defeating Miami last Sunday and seemed to carry that success into Littlejohn Coliseum.
They hit five of their first six shots and grabbed that 31-12 lead on Ryan Harrowís jumper with 6:08 left in the first half.
For a while, it looked like the biggest cheer at Littlejohn was when former football great and 2009 ACC player of the year C.J. Spiller was introduced.
Brownell said he kept his players focused on opportunities and not missed chances. Finally, he said, things fell Clemsonís way. ěWe got momentum and our guys just started making plays,î he said.
Bryan Narcisse put back Stittís miss and moments later Milton Jennings hit a 3 that got the crowd roaring. By the time the half was ended, the Tigers had used a 17-1 run to cut the Wolfpack lead to 32-29.
N.C. Stateís Smith hit a short shot in the lane with a second left in the half for a five-point lead.
The Associated Press
01/25/11 22:25