Hunter, Lakhin, score 19 apiece and Clemson tops EKU 75-62 in first-ever meeting

CLEMSON, S.C. -- — Chase Hunter and Viktor Lakhin each scored 19 points with Lakhin grabbing 12 rebounds and Clemson beat Eastern Kentucky 75-62 on Tuesday night.

Ian Schieffelin added 13 points for the Tigers.

Devontae Blanton scored 23 points shooting 10 for 15 and Mayar Wol 12 for Eastern Kentucky.

Wol's 3-pointer gave the Colonels a 54-50 lead with 12:50 left. Clemson scored the next nine points and never trailed again. Jaeden Zackery's layup with 8:20 left put Clemson ahead 66-56 and it led by double digits the rest of the way.

Hunter's 3 with 12:33 before halftime marked the Tigers' (2-1) first double-digit advantage at 23-13. The Colonels (2-1) responded with a 12-0 outburst for a 25-23 lead.

Clemson led 42-36 at intermission.

The game marked the closest Clemson had to a test as it opened the season with consecutive victories of 25 points or more for the 10th time in program history.

Tuesday's matchup was the first meeting between the two. Clemson is 15-1 all-time against current opponents from the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Hunter and Schieffelin are only two of five players in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year that will finish their careers at the same school they started and have been starters for at least three seasons.

RJ Davis (UNC), Cameron Hildreth (Wake Forest) and Maxime Raynaud (Stanford) round out the group.

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