CLEMSON – Clemson had gone 3:30 without a made field goal until guard Chase Hunter’s three took two soft bounces on the rim and dropped in to take a commanding six-point lead with 38 seconds left, securing the Tigers’ 69-62 victory over Pittsburgh Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

“That was a big one,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “They guarded our initial reaction well. We moved it and Chase got the ball in space. There was some space there. I thought he was going to go to the basket, but he backed the guy up.

“That’s a shot he has made a little bit this year. He just made it at halftime against Florida State. It was really the same play. It was kind of a chop-your-feet-and-attack move that a lot of guards make.”

Physicality was at a premium and that’s Clemson’s strength as it rose after spending the entire first half down, including a 10-point deficit at one point.

After a half entirely dominated by the Panthers, 13 lead changes and five ties ensued in a heated affair fitting for the stakes. The win was the 12th straight for Clemson over the Panthers and it’s a big one that puts the Tigers into a tie for fourth place in the ACC standings with Wake Forest, who lost at Notre Dame.

If Clemson (20-8, 10-7 ACC) wins its next three games, it will earn the ACC’s coveted No. 4 seed in next month’s ACC Tournament.

The top four teams in the league earn a double bye.

Offense was a venture in the first half as Clemson failed to find any rhythm. At one point, there was 3:12 stretch without the Tigers scoring and it resulted in Pitts’ lead growing to eight.

The Tigers went 9 of 23 from the floor in the half with the pair of Joseph Girard III and Hunter keeping things afloat with 16 points on 5 of 7 shooting. Things could’ve been bleak, but numerous missed opportunities by the Panthers at the rim had Clemson down just four, 31-27, at the break.

The Panthers (18-10, 9-8 ACC) held the lead for 22 minutes before forward Ian Schieffelin’s and-one with 17:59 left in the game to take a 32-31 advantage. Pitt started the game 5 of 6 from behind the arc before missing 11 straight, which opened the door for the Tigers’ second half surge.

Fouls became a storyline as expected given the physicality and Clemson committed seven fouls before the 11 minute mark in the second half, putting the Panthers in the bonus quickly.

Both Girard and center PJ Hall had three fouls at that point. That had a heavy hand as Pittsburgh went 4:10 without a made field goal in the second half. The Tigers joined the bonus with over eight minutes to play.

Jack Clark was the unsung hero in the game, limiting Pittsburgh’s leading scorer, Blake Hinson, to six points on 2 of 9 shooting in the game. Hinson had 27 on the Tigers back in December when Clark was still out with injury.

Four players scored in double digits for the Panthers, nearly overcoming Hinson’s struggles. Carlton Carrington led the way with a game-high 18 points. Brad Brownell’s defense made a big impact, limiting Pittsburgh to 32.8 percent from the floor, including 28.1 percent in the second half.

Hall did a bit of everything in the win with 12 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Schieffelin was the star with 15 points and 12 rebounds, his eighth double-double of his career.

He was crucial in the second half, scoring 13 of his points after halftime. Both Hunter and Girard added 15 in the contest. Girard was 5 of 6 from the field and was 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

After a four-day break, Clemson travels up north to take on Notre Dame Saturday, which sits at 10-17. The Tigers tip off at 7:45 p.m., on the CW Network with a chance to remain in double-bye contention.