CLEMSON — Ace Buckner was visibly frustrated in the moments following Clemson’s 85-78 loss to Georgetown on Friday night inside Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers’ first loss of the season.

The Hoyas shot lights out in the first half, hitting on 58% of their shots from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. Big man Vincent Iwuchukwu Jr. was especially productive, scoring 16 points before the break and hitting all seven of his shots from the field.

Georgetown would eventually take a 47-32 lead into the half.

“I feel like we just felt disrespected,” Buckner said following the loss. “I feel like the message of this year is trying to put 40 minutes together and not playing in spurts. Just to play a full game well.

The Tigers, due in large part to Buckner, looked like a much different team in the second half. Five minutes after the break, Clemson had pulled to within double digits. Five minutes later, Georgetown’s lead had been cut to five and Clemson finally pulled ahead a few minutes later. Along with Buckner, who had 12 points during that stretch, fellow guard Cole Certa also hit some big shots, including a three-pointer that put the Tigers up 62-61 with 6:01 remaining. However, the Hoyas would quickly retake the lead and would never relinquish it.

While the Tigers were able to dig out of the first-half hole and briefly take a lead, Buckner was not pleased with the results across the first 20 minutes of play.

“Because they came out and punched us,” Buckner added. “We just did not go out and do what we needed to do in the first half. It is hard to beat a team when you spot them 20 points.

And when he says he felt disrespected, it wasn’t because of anything the Hoyas did or said. It was his own team’s first-half performance that left him at no loss for words following the defeat.

“I feel like we got punked. That is really all I can say,” he said. “We are a better team than we showed in the first half. I think we showed that in the second half.

This is a lesson. They came in here and kicked our butt. But we will move on.”

Buckner would finish the night with 20 points, but 16 of those came in the final half.

While the third-year guard was pleased with the second-half effort, Buckner was pretty adamant that the Tigers need to be much better on the defensive end. Even more than that, Buckner feels like this team has yet to put together a complete game, despite this being the Tigers’ first loss of the young season.

That complete game is what he’ll be looking for when Clemson returns to action on Monday against The Citadel. And it’s safe to assume Bucker might still be in a foul mood by the time that one tips off.

“I think we got something to prove,” he said. “I feel like we should come out and stomp somebody. This should leave a bad taste in our mouth.”