It’s been six years since Clemson played in the NCAA Tournament. It’s been 12 years for the South Carolina basketball program. However, the two rivals played on Wednesday night as if they had been there before.

In what was one of the best Clemson-Carolina basketball games in recent memory, the Tigers outlasted No. 20 South Carolina, 62-60, at the Colonial Center in Columbia.

“It did feel like (an NCAA Tournament game),” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said afterwards on the Clemson Sports Radio Network. “It was very competitive and it had tremendous intensity.”

The Tigers, who have now won seven straight games, rallied from three points down in the final 1:45 to beat South Carolina for just the second time in six years. They got a big putback from senior Jaron Blossomgame and then free throws from Marcquise Reed and Avery Holmes, rallying for the program’s first ever road win over a ranked non-conference opponent.

The win was a big one for the Tigers’ NCAA Tournament hopes. Heading into the game, Clemson had an RPI of 69, while the Gamecocks were No. 19. Both teams had played well through the first 10 games and both are considered to be NCAA Tournament possibilities come March. In other words, this was a big win for the Clemson résumé.

The Tigers (9-2) moved up to No. 39 in the latest RPI standings following the road win over the top 20 Gamecocks, who fell to No. 38 after the loss. Clemson will have an opportunity to build on its résumé next Wednesday when it takes on No. 16 UNC-Wilmington in Littlejohn Coliseum.

“Frank (Martin) and I are working really hard at these two jobs to make these basketball schools and it is a challenge. It is fun to be in games like this,” Brownell said. “You want your players to play in games like this. It prepares us for ACC play.

“To win a game like this is extremely awarding and you just hope that everyone understands and appreciates it and understands it is a big deal. Hopefully, we can make this a bigger deal moving forward.”

There was no doubt it was a big deal on Wednesday as more than 16,000 packed into the Colonial Center to watch two teams throw one punch after another at each other. The game was tied 12 times and there were 17 lead changes.

The Tigers’ largest lead of the night was four points, including a 29-25 lead at the break, while South Carolina’s largest lead was also four points with 4:07 left in the game.

“They are just a really hard team to play against,” Brownell said. “You are never going to look good when you play them, you just have to out-will them, and that is hard to do. That’s why I am so proud of our guys. This was bumper cars for a long time and for our guys to find a way to win, we showed great grit and toughness tonight.”

Brownell said his team will not play a tougher game in the ACC than they did on Wednesday.

“There will not be many. There will be a couple that will be similar, but not on most nights,” he said.

–Photo Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports