The Clemson Tigers saw all five starters score in double figures and never trailed in an 85-72 opening night victory over the visiting Stetson Hatters.
Sophomore Ace Buckner led the way with a new career high of 20 points, 12 of which came in a first half that saw the Tigers open up a 25-point lead before coasting to victory.
Clemson (1-0) scored the first five points and saw the lead reach double figures at 17-7 on a Chase Thompson 3-pointer with 13:25 left in the opening half. A 12-0 run to end the half capped the advantage at 49-24 on a pair of Cole Certa free throws. Stetson never again pulled closer than the 13-point final margin to close the game.
Buckner’s 20 points came on a 6-for-14 shooting performance including 3-for-7 3-point marksmanship. He limped off the court with just under eight minutes to play but did not appear to sustain a serious injury.
Samford transfer Dylan Faulkner added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in his Clemson debut. Liutaurus Lelevicius tallied 13 points and six boards, while Certa added 13 points and six assists. David Fuchs notched 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
The Tigers were efficient on offense, shooting 25-for-49 (51%) for the game from the field, with 9-for-24 accuracy (37.5%) from 3-point range. They had only a single turnover in the first half, finishing with just eight overall.
Stetson (0-1) looked more comfortable in the second half, shooting 57.1% (20-for-35) after halftime. Preseason Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Collin Kuhl scored all of his 20 points after intermission. Kuhl shot 8-for-13 for the game. Magnus Entenmann also tallied 16 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and adding five rebounds.
Stetson connected on 8 of its 9 free-throw tries but saw the home Tigers shoot 26-for-35 from the foul line.
Clemson returns to action on Friday, hosting American University. Stetson plays again on Tuesday at SEC foe South Carolina.
