Clemson Upsets No. 2 Duke, Ends Blue Devils’ Winning Streak

CLEMSON, S.C. — In a thrilling matchup on Saturday night, the Clemson Tigers stunned No. 2 Duke, ending the Blue Devils’ 16-game winning streak with a 77-71 victory. The Tigers dominated the paint and utilized strong defensive strategies to secure the win.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell noted the significance of the victory, stating, “The second half, that’s about as good as we can play.” The win comes after a disappointing triple-overtime loss to Georgia Tech, where forward Yaroslav Lakhin had limited play due to foul trouble.

Brownell emphasized the importance of maintaining composure, a theme he drove home to Lakhin following the Georgia Tech loss. “He probably circled that word 20 times talking to me,” Lakhin said. The 6-foot-10 forward responded brilliantly, scoring 22 points, collecting four rebounds, and blocking three shots.

Clemson outscored Duke 40-22 in the paint and held a 36-23 advantage in rebounding, overpowering the Blue Devils in critical moments of the game. Lakhin received notable support from teammate Ian Schieffelin, who contributed significant plays down the stretch.

As the game progressed, Duke’s star freshman, Tyrese Flagg, struggled early but rallied toward the end, scoring 14 points in quick succession. With 14 seconds remaining, Flagg attempted to drive to the basket but stumbled on a wet spot on the court and was called for traveling, sealing Duke’s fate.

“He got the advantage downhill, and I’m taking that any day of the week,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “But there was a wet spot, and sometimes that’s how it goes. But he really made every play in the last couple minutes just to will us.”

Despite Flagg’s efforts, Brownell’s game plan proved effective. Lakhin stated, “We did a good job on him, but he’ll bounce back. Hopefully, we’ll see him again in the [ACC] tournament and we’ll do as good of a job then.”

The victory propelled Clemson’s record to 19-5 overall and 11-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), while Duke fell to 20-3 and 12-1 in conference play.