 shot 56 percent from the field while advancing out of the first round for the first time since 1997. It was the Tigers' first win in the NCAA tourney since the First Four in 2011.Clemson was nearly flawless at the offensive end against the 12th-seeded champions of the WAC. It made 9 of 11 shots during one stretch on its way to a 12-point lead at halftime.It was an impressive showing for the Tigers after they stumbled over the final weeks of the regular season adjusting to the loss of Dante Grantham to a season-ending knee injury. They were just 7-6 after Grantham was injured.Zach Lofton led New Mexico State (28-6) with 29 points and Jemerrio Jones had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but the Aggies had too many inconsistent stretches while the Tigers were so good at the offensive end.Marcquise Reed added 15 points as nearly everyone had a good night shooting for Clemson. Mitchell made 8 of 13 shots, while DeVoe hit 10 of 15 attempts. Clemson had not shot better than 50 percent since shooting 53 percent against North Carolina State early in ACC play. The Tigers had failed to shoot at least 40 percent in four games after Grantham was injured - which made the hot shooting against New Mexico State so surprising.New Mexico State had one flurry midway through the second half, creating at least some concern for Clemson. Down 64-49, the Aggies went on a 13-4 run, closing to 68-62 on Jones' rebound basket with 5:55 left. Mitchell answered with a 3 late in the shot clock and after a pair of empty trips, Mitchell hit a pair of free throws and added another basket to push the lead back to 13.BIG PICTURENew Mexico State: The Aggies were looking for their first tournament win since 1993 - a victory over Nebraska that was later vacated. The last tournament victory for New Mexico State that counted came in 1970 when the Aggies reached the Final Four.Clemson: The Tigers shot just 42.5 percent during ACC play and topped 50 percent just once against conference foes. But during non-conference play, the Tigers had four games of shooting 55 percent or better, including a season-best 61 percent against Texas Southern.UP NEXTNew Mexico State: The Aggies are expected to contend in the WAC again next season with a solid core of players returning and a couple of transfers who sat out this season.Clemson: The Tigers will face another team still overcoming a key injury when they face No. 4 seed Auburn in the second round on Sunday.)
Mar 14, 2018SAN DIEGO -- Clemson is riding high again, having reached seldom scaled heights in the national rankings in a record-setting run to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years.To New Mexico State and new coach Chris Jans, this is somewhat old hat.No. 20 Clemson (23-9) set a school record by winning 11 ACC games this season, including its second victory over North Carolina since 2004, and will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region against the 12th-seeded Aggies at the Viejas Arena on the San Diego State campus.New Mexico State (28-5) tied a school record for victories and qualified as the Western Athletic Conference champion for its fourth NCAA appearance in five years. The Aggies have not broken through lately but took San Diego State into overtime before losing in the first round in 2014.Clemson, led by guards Marcquise Reed and Gabe DeVoe, opened the season 20-4 and peaked at No. 11 in the Top 25, its second-highest ranking in 20 years. The 2009 team reached No. 10.Reed, DeVoe and 6-foot-9 center Elijah Thomas, named to the ACC all-defensive team, have taken another step forward while helping the Tigers overcome the loss of forward Donte Grantham, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Jan. 20 victory over Notre Dame. Grantham was averaging 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds."It kind of hurts, knowing Dante isn't going to get to play in it, but it's a lot of work we put in and the leadership we put in to make this a special year," said DeVoe, one of only three seniors on the team. "Just happy for the program and the team." Reed, averaging 15.9 points, has six 20-point contests since the Notre Dame game, and made eight 3-pointers in a 28-point game against Virginia Tech in February. DeVoe, averaging 13.2 points, has four 25-point games and a 24-pointer in the last 12.The Tigers, who have won three of four, fell to No. 1 Virginia in the ACC semifinals after beating Boston College in the first round. They are 7-6 without Grantham."I'm just happy for our players," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "Our players deserve this, with everything they have dealt with all season. The way they have played. The way they have handled things." "They've given us maximum effort and everything they have had all year. This is a reward for not just a season or hard work but an offseason of hard work." New Mexico State, which has won its last six, has held opponents to 63.8 points per game, ranked 10th nationally.The Aggies lost to West Coast Conference power Saint Mary's early in the season before a strong showing in the Diamond Head Classic holiday tournament in Honolulu, beating NCAA tournament teams Davidson and Miami before falling to USC in the final.Jemerrio Jones, a 6-5 senior forward who averages 11.0 points and 13.2 rebounds, was named the WAC tournament MVP after getting 35 points and 56 rebounds in three games."We're not the biggest team in America by height, but they are pretty tough," Jans said after winning the WAC tournament with a 72-58 victory over Grand Canyon."They have developed a competitive spirit amongst themselves. They like each other. They have great chemistry and they have built that on their own. As a coach, you pray that happens." Guard Zach Lofton, a graduate transfer from Texas Southern, leads the Aggies with a 19.8 scoring average and averages 5.1 rebounds. Lofton, from Minneapolis, was the Southwestern Conference Player of the Year in 2017 while averaging 16.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals at Texas Southern."We have the talent, but you can't win without heart," Lofton said after the WAC tournament. "And I think is that what we have. They me pick up, I pick them up."
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