By Kaila Burns-Heffner.

Clemson’s 64-49 victory over Boston College showed to be an impressive improvement over the Tiger’s recent close games.

Clemson dominated from the start, ending the first half with a 27-16 lead over the Eagles. Fifteen of Clemson’s 27 points came from starting guard Jordan Roper. Six other players scored two points each, while three BC players failed to score at all in the opening 20 minutes.

“We got off to a bad start, and they played really, really well. They played hard. They beat us to every lose ball,” Boston College head coach Jim Christian said.

“If you have that type of belief in your system, you’re able to win games just off effort, and they should feel proud about that,” Christian continued.

Clemson’s effort was evident in the final score. Roper broke two of his own career highs by scoring 24 points and making six three pointers. He set the tempo by scoring the Tigers’ first 11 points, making the score 11-3 with 14:11 left to play in the first half.

“I just wanted to come out and be aggressive and just get a good start for our team,” he said. “Making shots builds your confidence, and it makes you play with more enthusiasm.”

Roper’s explosive offensive start not only built his confidence enough to make 6 of 8 three pointers and 8 of 11 shots, it also eased his teammates’ anxiety and allowed them to make plays.

“When he is playing like that, it changes us. It really changes us,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “It really changes us to have another offensive weapon out on the court that can run around and make some shots.”

Specifically, Brownell mentioned Roper’s last three games–he scored 12 vs. Wake and 18 at NC State–has enabled senior guard Rod Hall to relax some. At times this year, Hall has felt the pressure to lead the offense and make plays. However, with Roper firing up the offense, Hall is able to free up and play more of the court and be more of a facilitator.

“I think he feels more comfortable when he sees Jordan making shots,” said Brownell. “He likes playing with Jordan. He likes to find Jordan off screens. It’s frustrating when you’re Rod sometimes and nobody is making shots.

“Everything just energizes you when you have better offensive flow and when guys start seeing the ball go in.”

With Roper controlling the offense, Hall was able to focus more on assisting rather than leading. Hall had six assists and was able to focus on defending Boston College guard Olivier Hanlan.

“Rod was fantastic defensively,” said Brownell.

Clemson’s boost in confidence following three consecutive wins is necessary for the continuous improvement of the team, especially as they move on to play Florida State again on Wednesday. Clemson lost their last matchup with Florida State, but a boost in the confidence and morale may make the difference.