Brevin Galloway scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half as Clemson blew out host North Carolina State 96-71 on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.
The Tigers scored 54 points in the first half to pick up a crucial outcome to bolster their NCAA Tournament credentials.
PJ Hall finished with 20 points, Chase Hunter contributed 15 and Hunter Tyson had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Clemson (21-8, 13-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), which remains in contention for first place in the league.
It was a devastating outcome for NC State (22-8, 12-7) in its home finale after the Wolfpack had set a school record by winning eight consecutive ACC home games in the same season. The team began its league slate with a home loss to Pittsburgh in early December.
D.J. Burns scored 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor for the Wolfpack. Teammates Jarkel Joiner (16 points), Casey Morsell (11) and Terquavion Smith (10) also reached double-figure point totals.
NC State is 3-3 since entering the Top 25 three weeks ago. The Wolfpack dropped out of the poll earlier this week.
Clemson shot 59.6 percent from the field, with Galloway making 7 of 9 attempts and going 10-for-10 on free throws. Hall was 9-for-11 from the floor.
The Tigers completed a regular-season series sweep of NC State.
Clemson built a 13-point lead in the first four minutes of the game and kept piling it on. It was the second huge first half in a row for the Tigers, who blistered visiting Syracuse on Wednesday night.
Galloway shot 4-for-5 on 3-point attempts in the first half. Hall had 16 points by the break. The Tigers shot 62.1 percent from the field before halftime and were aided by 10-for-11 on free throws. NC State was 1-for-3 on foul shots.
By the game’s 9-minute mark of the second half, the score grew to 79-49.
–Field Level Media
