OP Stat(s) of the Game: Raymond Sykes- 13 points; Tanner Smith- 13 points; Trevor Booker- 16 points, 13 rebounds, Terrence Oglesby- 13 points, 3-4 3pt, Clemson Tigers- 98 points, 52.9% 3pt.
Congratulations Tanner "Gentle Ginger" Smith for an exceptional Tiger Debut.
Raymond "Tiny Wine" Sykes, solid work as well.I cannot remember a time when Raymond Sykes had such a dominant game. It seems he worked on his hand skills this summer.
OK, FT% and the point production of KC Rivers were not things we could rely upon tonight. But rather, Defense and Sykes and Tanner Smith. Defensively, the Tigers looked strong and this allowed them to have some room to work offensively.
The box score shows FIVE Tigers scoring in double digits: Rivers, Booker, Oglesby, Smith, and Sykes.
With the 98-69 win, the Tigers will be playing the silver and purple Horned Toad of TCU tomorrow, probably in the 8:00 game, as TCU defeated W. Michigan. The Tigers will not get an opportunity to avenge the early exit at the hands of the W. Michigan Broncos in the first round of the 1998 NCAA tournament. Elsewhere in the Charleston Classic, Charleston beat the tournament team with the longest name, SIU-Edwardsville, and Temple defeated ETSU.
Good thing VMI wasn't invited to this tournament, the Keydets won at Rupp Arena in Lexington against Kentucky tonight.
OP nicely called for the team to dribble out the game rather than hanging the century on the Dutchmen. Again, OP demonstrates class.
Oliver Purnell praised the Tigers' defensive efforts and though he thought the match-ups would be difficult, it was the native Dutch inability to handle the Tiger Press that was their undoing.
And so it goes. Booker is Booker, Oglesby is Oglesby, and Ginger is Ginger(?).
Bring on the Horned Toads!
Thanks to all the Tiger fans and Alumni for making the first Charleston Classic hopefully fulfill its namesake as classic- at least for the Tigers.
Go Tigers!
