Reed, Thomas help Clemson hold off Saint Peter's 65-60

Dec 5, 2018, 02:53 am

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Marcquise Reed tossed in 21 points with three assists and three steals and Elijah Thomas posted a double-double as Clemson outlasted Saint Peter's 65-60 on Tuesday night.

Thomas, who had a season-high 17 points, scored nine in the final five minutes to help the Tigers (6-2) hold on. Thomas scored five straight to put the Tigers up 54-50 with 4:17 left in the game. Saint Peter's used 3-point plays by KC Ndefo and Quinn Taylor to pull even at 56 with 2:23 remaining. Shelton Mitchell's layup and 1 of 2 free throws by David Skara gave Clemson a 59-56 lead, and Thomas and Mitchell each hit two free throws in the final 21 seconds to fend off the Peacocks (2-6).

Thomas added 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Mitchell finished with 15 points.

Davauhnte Turner topped Saint Peter's with 18 points. Turner has scored in double figures in all eight games this season. Cameron Jones and Dallas Watson scored 13 and 11, respectively, and Taylor grabbed 10 rebounds.

BIG PICTURE

Saint Peter's: The Peacocks snapped a five-game skid last time out with a 63-59 overtime victory over Maine. Saint Peter's heads back home where they are 2-1 this season with all three games going to overtime.

Clemson: The Tigers, who had never played Saint Peter's, improved to 13-0 all-time against teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. ... Clemson opened the season with five straight wins but fell out of the Top 25 after back-to-back losses to Creighton and Nebraska. ... Clemson starters were averaging just under 63 points per game with Thomas in the lineup. Thomas came off the bench against the Peacocks and accounted for 17 of the Tigers' 21 bench points.

UP NEXT

Saint Peter's: The Peacocks host LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.

Clemson: The Tigers take on No. 22 Mississippi State on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.