Tigers bounce back for a successful trip West

By Pete Iacobelli - The Associated Press

CLEMSON -- Clemson coach Oliver Purnell saw a lot of good things on his team's trip out West after watching an awful early performance from his Tigers.

No. 18 Clemson (6-1) came out with little of the fire it showed early this season against Texas A&M, its first opponent at last week's 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

The result? A 69-60 A&M victory, the Tigers' first loss in the month of November in five years.

Purnell thought his team would find itself. He just wasn't sure.

“I was definitely in wait-and-see, interested mode after that game,” Purnell said Tuesday.

He didn't need long to wait, as the Tigers rebounded to defeat Long Beach State (87-79) and 12th-ranked Butler (70-69) to close the tournament on a high.

Purnell saw more pop from his players in the tournament's second game. Clemson was then able to sustain the energy against Butler.

Trevor Booker, Clemson's star and leading scorer, had just 12 points against a Bulldogs defense ferociously denying him the ball in the lane. However, Booker had two big defensive blocks in the final seconds to preserve the Tigers' win.

“We knew we had to learn from our mistakes,” Booker said.

The Tigers will need to keep learning during a difficult nonconference stretch. They take on Illinois tonight in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, then play rival South Carolina on Saturday.

Purnell called the 76 Classic, won by No. 7 West Virginia, perhaps college basketball's deepest holiday event.

The Tigers will have to use what they've learned from the California trip in the next week. “We're going to have to play well,” Purnell said.

Clemson did not accomplish that in the first half against Texas A&M. After winning its first four games by an average margin of 35 points, the Tigers managed just 20 points in the opening half against the Aggies and trailed by double digits.

Clemson found its energy the second half, cutting the lead to a bucket before Texas A&M pulled away.

Booker said a crisper, more determined team came out against Long Beach State and stuck around against Butler.

The Tigers trailed 67-62 in the final minutes, but outscored the Bulldogs 8-2 down the stretch to win. Booker blocked a court-length pass out of bounds on Butler's first attempt to win the game.

“We thought it was over,” Booker said.

Instead, officials reviewed the tape and put five-tenths of a second back on the clock. Booker then swatted down the Bulldogs' final pass in toward the basket to secure the victory.

Purnell was pleased to see Booker shrug off his so-so shooting night to stay fully engaged on defense.

“He was allowed a lot of touches down the stretch, but his defensive mindset was there,” Purnell said. “If he's any less than engaged, we have a chance to lose the game.”

The Tigers, trying for their third consecutive NCAA tournament berth, are far from a finished product.

They feature four freshmen — Milton Jennings, Noel Johnson, Devin Booker and Donte Hill — who occupy regular spots in a Clemson rotation that goes 10 or 11 men deep.

Slowly, Purnell sees answers to nagging preseason questions.

David Potter and Andre Young have shown a reliability from the 3-point line. Demontez Stitt, a junior, has steadied the team at point guard. He had 16 points in the Long Beach State victory and 19, including the two game-winning free throws, against Butler.