GREENVIILE — Coming into Friday’s game with No. 25 South Carolina, Clemson’s number one concern was the Gamecocks’ physicality. The Tigers worried if they could match USC’s size and physical nature at the rim.

For the first 20 minutes their worry became a reality. The Gamecocks out-rebounded them by 10 in the first half and was living around the basket.

“After the first six minutes of the first half, we played poorly,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said following the 65-59 loss to the Gamecocks. “Our guys fought back and we did a lot of good things in the second half, and we had opportunities to win.”

What Clemson (7-4) did well in the last 20 minutes was crash the boards and protected the rim. Center Landry Nnoko had four of his game-high five blocks in the second stanza, while the Tigers out-rebounded USC by one, 8-7, on the offensive glass.

“If we rebound a lot, we feel as a team that we can score easier in transition so we have to be tough. Myself, the three guard, and the fours and fives have to go in there crash, get rebounds and go in there and by tough,” shooting guard Donte Grantham said. “In the second half, we got tough. We should have started the game like we played in the second half.”

Clemson started the game by falling in a 20-point hole. The Gamecocks (10-0) used a 24-1 run to take a 33-14 lead. USC extended the lead to 20 points, 38-18, on two Sindarius Thornwell free throws with 2:47 to go in the half.

The Tigers used a mini-run just before halftime to cut the lead to 16, 41-25, as Jordan Roper closed the half with a layup with less than a second left.

“The last four minutes of the first half were really important. Our guys played better, we finally got our wits about us again and played well the last four minute. We went into halftime fine and regrouped and came out in the second half and played fine,” Brownell said.

Clemson played better than fine. It got itself back in the game. After a couple of free throws by Jaron Blossomgame and a Sidy Djitte tip in, Roper drained a three-pointer and all of sudden the Tigers were within striking distance.

They worked the lead down even further after that, and pulled within four twice in the final six minutes, but were unable to capitalize on cutting things closer in the final minutes of the game. Four times Clemson had the ball with a chance to make it a two-point USC lead or less, but each time they failed to score.

Eventually it came down to free throws and the Gamecocks converted to seal the victory.

“We might have run out a gas a little, but at the end of the day we had a couple of shots that were good shots that you have to make. We missed free throws. We missed a lot of free throws,” Brownell said.

And ultimately those missed opportunities cost Clemson the game, but at least it showed some toughness. Now they just have to figure out a way to do it for 40 minutes as opposed to 20 minutes.

“It’s very disappointing. We fought back in the game, but we have to be tough and make those shots,” Grantham said. “We cut the lead down to four. We have to go make a tough play, go get a foul or something and get it to go our way. We could not capitalize on the opportunity.”

Clemson will play at Georgia on Dec. 22. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.