CLEMSON — The Clemson Tigers took down the Fighting Irish on Wednesday night, winning their next-to-last home conference matchup of the season.

With times of scoring droughts and big streaks of strong finishes, No. 13 Clemson came out on top, 83-68, with the entire team coming together and staying in the lead for nearly the whole game.

One man, guard Jake Heidbreder, came off the bench and played with fire for the Tigers, earning him attention from fans, teammates, and his coach.

“I couldn’t be more happy for Jake,” head coach Brad Brownell said. “He’s a good player, and he’s been coming off our bench and working hard all year. He sat out last year, was a really good player at Air Force, and is a good player here.”

Heidbreder, a redshirt junior transfer from Air Force, scored 14 points off four 3s and a pair of free throws. When asked what clicked for him against Notre Dame, he responded very simply.

“Shots are going in,” Heidbreder said. “Praying that shots go in, teammates finding me.”

“That’s what he does, he shoots the ball,” forward Ian Schieffelin added.

It wasn’t just his offensive spirit that turned heads Wednesday night. While he is known for his shooting and firepower, Brownell gave him credit for his defensive play and how he’s grown in it.

“We feel like he’s really improved defensively,” Brownell said. “You can see it every day in practice. You can see it in the film. He is obviously more comfortable and follows our game plans. He was terrific tonight defensively.”

Defense hasn’t always been his strong suit, which is usually the case for guards. However, Brownell has caught Heidbreder’s improvement and display of that on the court, and he will certainly look to continue replicating that performance in the games to come.

Heidbreder and the Tigers will head on the road for their next two ACC games against Virginia and Boston College before finishing the season at home against Virginia Tech.