Gardner leads Virginia's late rally to beat Clemson 75-65
CLEMSON, S.C. -- — Jayden Gardner scored 23 points and Virginia pulled away in the final seven minutes to beat Clemson 75-65 on Tuesday night.
Virginia, which has won three of its last four, avenged a 67-50 loss to the Tigers on Dec. 22 that ended an 11-game win streak in the series. The Cavaliers have won six straight against the Tigers in South Carolina.
The Cavaliers closed on a 19-8 run. Gardner made six free throws during the stretch.
Gardner shot 7 for 11 and 9 for 10 from the free-throw line. Armaan Franklin added 13 points for Virginia (9-5, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which shot 54% (25 of 46) and made 21 of its 24 (87.5%) free throws.
Hunter Tyson scored 15 points to lead Clemson (9-5, 1-2), which ended a four-game win streak. David Collins added 14 points, PJ Hall 13 points and Nick Honor 11.
Virginia led by eight with 4:33 remaining in the first half before Clemson closed on an 11-2 run for a 37-36 halftime advantage. There were seven ties and five lead changes in the second half before the Cavaliers took the lead for good with 6:51 to go.
Virginia concludes a three-game road swing at North Carolina on Saturday.
Clemson plays at North Carolina State on Saturday.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Brian Dorsey
- Clarence Armstrong
- Tommy Morrissey
2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 2-0 | - | 10-2 |
| SMU | 2-0 | - | 10-2 |
| Clemson | 2-0 | - | 10-3 |
| Pittsburgh | 1-0 | 0.5 | 10-2 |
| Stanford | 1-0 | 0.5 | 9-3 |
| NC State | 1-0 | 0.5 | 8-4 |
| North Carolina | 1-0 | 0.5 | 7-5 |
| Notre Dame | 1-0 | 0.5 | 7-5 |
| Wake Forest | 1-1 | 1 | 9-4 |
| Louisville | 1-1 | 1 | 7-5 |
| California | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Virginia | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Syracuse | 0-1 | 1.5 | 5-6 |
| Virginia Tech | 0-1 | 1.5 | 5-7 |
| Miami | 0-1 | 1.5 | 4-8 |
| Florida State | 0-2 | 2 | 9-4 |
| Boston College | 0-2 | 2 | 7-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 0-2 | 2 | 5-7 |
Men's College Basketball News