Noles end 3 game skid with win over Clemson

The Noles in a huddle discuss their game plan against Clemson on Jan. 22.
Photo Submitted by Ahmon Lott. 

The Seminoles ended their three-game skid Tuesday night at the Civic Center knocking off the Clemson Tigers 77-68. The win over the Tigers granted the Noles their first win of ACC conference play.

After a emotional loss to Duke nearly two weeks ago, the Noles struggled to regain their composure dropping two games on the road to Pittsburgh and Boston College.

“Our guys showed a lot determination tonight trying to bounce back from some tough losses, this was a big win for us we stopped the bleeding” said head coach Leonard Hamilton.

The Noles controlled the game from behind the arc, hitting seven 3-pointers in the first half. The 3-point attack was led by senior point guard David Nichols who poured in 16 points while shooting 4-5 from 3-point range.

Sophomore forward Mfiondu Kabengele continued his great play, tallying 17 points on 6-10 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and two blocks.

“My coaching staff is giving me a lot of confidence i’m very aggressive and my coaches are doing a great job of putting me in position to make plays,” said Kabengele.

The Noles trailed the majority of the first half, but with the help of the bench they were able to close the gap. The second unit provided a major lift, scoring 45 points igniting the team on both sides of the ball.

“The way this team is built we are 18 strong from our staters to our  walk-on’s everyone’s important” said Kabengele.

The Noles finished the game shooting 45 percent from 3-point range, a major improvement from the 32 percent and 9 percent averages of their last two games.

The Noles are hoping to get healthy as the navigate through the gauntlet of ACC play. They are still without senior forward Phil Copher, and coach Hamilton said that he will return this year but there is no timetable for his return.

The Seminoles head down to Coral Gables this weekend to take on the rivaled Hurricanes while their next home game will take place Feb. 2 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.