CHARLOTTE – Let the bodies hit the floor.
Three months and a few days after Clemson defeated SMU by a field goal in Charlotte for the ACC Championship in football, the Tigers once again beat the Ponies by a field goal in Charlotte to advance in the ACC Basketball Tournament. A big difference? SMU might have tackled better in March than it did in December.
It was that kind of physical game as the No. 10 Tigers held off the sixth-seeded Mustangs 57-54 to improve to 27-5 on the season (extending a program record for wins) and advanced to play second-seeded Louisville in the semifinals Friday night (9:30 pm).