It was not personal.

That is what Joe Girard’s second half three-pointer with 10:26 left to silence the 20,000 Syracuse fans was to the former Orange star, who lifted Clemson to a much-needed 77-68 road victory in his return trip home Saturday to the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.

After two Judah Mintz jumpers trimmed what was once a 15-point Clemson lead to three points, Girard launched a long three from the left side to quickly put the Tigers back up six points, 55-49, with 10:26 to play.

On his way back down the court, he told the ‘Cuse’s largest crowd of the season to hush by putting his index finger over his mouth. The crowd retaliated with boos.

“I didn’t think too much of it,” Girard said after the game. “I’m just kind of an emotional player no matter where I’m at. Had there been another crowd somewhere else who’s booing me, I probably would have done the same thing. So, it’s not personal.”

Girard was booed in pre-game and for much of the game, especially by the student section. Regardless, it did not effect the way he played, as led he Clemson, and all scorers, with 18 points on five of six shooting, including a 4-for-5 afternoon from behind the arc.

“Joe has been terrific, and we thought he would,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “We recruited him pretty hard in the transfer portal. We got to know him through that process and just really knew he had something about him.

“He is a winner. He is a mature guy. Poise, that is part of the reason I wanted another guard like that, I thought we had a chance to have a really good team. I wanted another guy that in environments like this, North Carolina and Duke, he wasn’t going to flinch and, obviously, today was not easy for him. It was very emotional.”

With his grandmother on hand to watch her grandson play in person, as well as friends and family, Girard sealed the Tigers’ victory by making all four of his free throws in the final minutes.

Girard, who played four years at Syracuse before transferring to Clemson last summer, topped off his return to the JMA Dome by scoring his 2,000-career point. He scored 1,652 points while playing for the Orange.

“Folks need to know, he loves this place tremendously and he has never said anything otherwise down at our place,” Brownell said. “Obviously, he loves Coach (Jim) Boeheim and the coaching staff and all the players he has played with. This place will always have a special place in his heart.”

However, college athletics is a different beast at the moment and there was a change at the head coaching position for the Orange. Girard wanted to find something different, and Clemson is where he landed.

“Obviously, we are very thankful that he did, because he has helped our team tremendously,” Brownell said.

Especially in Girard’s return trip to Syracuse.

—Photo by Mark Konezny / USA TODAY Sports

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