Sixth-seed Clemson came into the NCAA Tournament as an underdog against No. 11 New Mexico, but the game reflected the seeding far more than the projections in a dominant 77-56 victory at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tigers (22-11) jumped out to a 30-11 lead with 9:50 left in the first half and never let the game get back into striking distance. The Lobos had a couple short runs, but Brad Brownell’s team slammed the foot on the gas. Here’s the 411 as Clemson moves to the Round of 32.

–Defined by their tempo and backcourt success, you wouldn’t know it if this was your first time watching New Mexico. Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. shot a combined 5-25 from the floor for 18 points. The former fouled out late and was clearly frustrated with his performance. It was a complete defensive effort.

–The Lobos (26-10) shot 29.7 percent from the floor and had just a single player shoot over 50 percent from the floor: center Nelly Junior Joseph with 14 points on 5-8. Brownell has said the defense in 2024 isn’t as great as he’d wish it to be but

–Three-point shooting has often doomed this team throughout the 2023-24 season whether it be on either end but it wasn’t the case in the FedEx Forum. New Mexico shot just 3-23 from behind the arc while the Tigers went 7-21 and found its shots when necessary.

–While the Lobos’ guards struggled, Clemson’s Chase Hunter flourished. He led the game with 21 points and six assists, including an 8-0 run of his own in the second half to close the door. Joseph Girard III struggled at 2-12, but his co-star stepped up on both ends.

–Girard broke an ACC record with 67 straight free throws made in the victory. On his next next attempt, he missed which ended the streak that lasted since Jan 13. Girard may have missed one but secured the record before.

–This was a routine performance from Ian Schieffelin when he’s playing well. 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for his 10th double-double on the season. The problem was he and Jack Clark were the only two Tigers having success on the glass. New Mexico had 18 offensive rebounds, but Clemson’s defense remained poised and only allowed 12 second chance points.

–PJ Hall didn’t have to be dominant but made his impact with 14 points on 5-9 shooting. He was efficient from behind the arc, making 2-3 from that spot.

–Friday’s win was the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament victory since the Sweet Sixteen run in 2018. It was also the program’s 12th overall win. Brownell now has the most tournament wins in Clemson history with four.