Rod Beard
The Detroit News
Clemson, S.C. -- Coming off two losses and needing a win to stay above .500, Michigan played one of its best games of the season and held on to beat Clemson, 69-61, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. It was U-M's first road victory of the season and the first in the Challenge since 1999, when it won at Georgia Tech.
Evan Smotrycz finished with 18 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. 15 and Darius Morris added 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Wolverines (4-2).
"Obviously, we're very pleased with this win. I know Clemson has a good team and it's an environment a lot of teams cannot come into and win," coach John Beilein said.
U-M shot well in the first half, connecting on 15 of 25. Smotrycz scored 13 and Morris had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in the first 20 minutes.
The Wolverines used a 20-6 run early in the first half and led, 21-9, after a lay-in by Morris. They played tough defense and held Clemson scoreless for two four-minute stretches in the half. Another 15-3 spurt, capped by a lay-in by Stu Douglass, helped U-M push the lead to 36-16.
But Clemson (5-2) responded with a 7-0 run, including a pair of baskets by Cory Stanton, to cut it to 13 with 1:25 left. Jon Horford got a lay-in and Morris added two free throws and the Wolverines led, 40-24, at halftime.
"It was big for us to have that type of effort and execution in the first half and then it becomes so mental after that and you just want to go home and you still have to play 20 minutes against a good team," Beilein said.
Clemson started the second half with a 13-5 spurt, with five straight points by Demontez Stitt. U-M went scoreless for more than five minutes, until Jordan Morgan's putback at the 10:34 mark made it 47-37.
Morgan hit two more baskets in the next 1:19 and Hardaway made two free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt, pushing the lead to 53-39. Zack Novak converted back-to-back 3-pointers and the Wolverines led by 18, but Clemson's 7-0 spurt cut it back to 11.
The Wolverines were not so hot in the second half, making just 7 of 24 field goals, but held on because of free-throw shooting. U-M went without a field goal through the final 5:07, but made 10 of 14 from the line to put the game away.
"Evan and Tim and Darius have not been in those (free-throw) situations, let alone do it in Littlejohn," Beilein said.
Young finished with 14 points and six rebounds, Stitt 11 points and Jerai Grant nine points and 11 rebounds for Clemson.
Dec. 1, 2010
