CORAL GABLES, Fla. — K.C. Rivers scored 28 points and No. 25 Clemson easily overcame an early 12-point deficit on the way to beating Miami 91-72 Sunday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Terrence Oglesby added 17 points for the Tigers (12-0, 1-0), who kept pace with No. 3 Pittsburgh for Division I’s best record this season. Pitt stayed perfect by beating Florida State earlier Sunday.

Jack McClinton scored 20 points for Miami (7-3, 0-1), which doomed itself with a season-high 22 turnovers — 12 in the final 11 minutes of the first half, a stretch where the Hurricanes were outscored 29-9 — and by missing 12 of its first 17 free throws.

Miami finished 12-for-26 from the line.

Demontez Stitt scored 10 points and Trevor Booker grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds for Clemson, which improved to 44-0 in games played before Dec. 22 over the past four years.

Cyrus McGowan scored 11 points, while Dwayne Collins and Brian Asbury each had 10 for the Hurricanes.

Miami ran out to a quick start, with McGowan making his first four shots to fuel a 21-9 burst over the first 9 minutes. It matched the largest deficit Clemson faced at any point this year.

The Tigers weren’t fazed.

Just like that, Clemson outscored Miami 16-0 over a 2½-minute spurt, its biggest run of consecutive points so far this season. David Potter scored all seven of his first-half points during the run, Rivers added five and Booker had the other four, putting Clemson on top 25-21 — and the Tigers wouldn’t trail again.

Miami was down 38-30 at intermission, then saw the deficit swell to 11 early in the second half before making a comeback try. McClinton had assists for easy layups on consecutive possessions, first to Collins and then Asbury, to bring Miami within 52-46 with 13:12 remaining.

But Clemson, which did the majority of its scoring by attacking the rim and the paint in the first half, used the long ball to snuff out the Hurricanes’ rally.

Oglesby hit a 3-pointer with 12:50 left, then Rivers connected for two more 3’s to push Clemson’s edge to 61-47. And Oglesby sealed it with 5:53 left, when he connected from beyond the arc again to make it 79-62.

He pumped both fists, and almost on cue, the majority of the Miami faithful began heading for the exits.

 

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