Clemson delivered one of the most shocking upsets of the season Saturday with a 77-71 win over No. 2 Duke at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Blue Devils entered the weekend riding a 16-game winning streak and were one of two Power Five programs that had yet to lose a game in conference play.
Clemson star Chase Hunter converted a go-ahead layup with 38 seconds remaining to give his team the lead back for good after a back-and-forth final intense moments. The Tigers got a stop on the other end, and forward Viktor Lakhin split a pair of free throws to extend the lead. Lakhin finished with 22 points, while Hunter added 10.
Duke had a chance to tie the game with 18 seconds remaining, but star freshman forward Cooper Flagg slipped and turned the ball over with 14 seconds left. Flagg was held in check during the first half, scoring just four points on 2 of 5 shooting. Flagg scored 14 points after halftime and finished with 18 on 6-of-16 shooting.
Dick Vitale plans his return to broadcasting for Duke vs. Clemson game Saturday after battling cancer
Kyle Boone
Clemson is the first ACC team to win five straight games against top-five ranked teams since Duke accomplished the feat during the 2012-13 season.
Duke led by as many as nine points with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half before Clemson pulled away after intermission.
Clemson was coming off a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss over Georgia Tech earlier in the week. The Tigers are tied for second place in the ACC standings with Louisville (11-2) and trail Duke by just one game for first place.
Duke (20-3, 12-1 ACC) suffered its first loss since losing to Kansas in November. The Blue Devils face Cal next on Wednesday, while Clemson hosts North Carolina on Monday.
Who is No. 1 on Monday?
With No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke losing on Saturday, the top of the AP Top 25 poll could look different come Monday. While Auburn and Duke may hold their respective positions in the poll, No. 3 Alabama could have a chance to move up to No. 1 if the Crimson Tide takes care of business against Arkansas. Duke holds a head-to-head win over Auburn, and the Blue Devils would’ve had a strong case as the unanimous No. 1 team had they taken care of business against Clemson. If I had to guess, Auburn should remain No. 1 ahead of its matchup against Alabama next weekend.
Clemson earns another big win
Clemson has five total losses during the 2024-25 season: Boise State, Memphis, South Carolina, Louisville and Georgia Tech. The Tigers were coming off a heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech earlier this week, but a win over No. 2 Duke is great redemption. Clemson handed Kentucky its first loss of the season during the SEC/ACC Challenge back in December and this is its second win over a ranked opponent this season. With Clemson and Duke set to meet just once during the regular season, the Tigers having the head-to-head tiebreaker could go a long way.
What’s next for Duke after the loss to Clemson?
It was very likely that Duke was due for a slip-up after looking dominant against ACC competition. Clemson was the best (conference opponent) remaining on Duke’s schedule. The Blue Devils should be favored in every conference game for the remainder of the season. Duke does have a game against Illinois at Madison Square Garden later this month, which should be another opportunity to add to an already impressive résumé. The Blue Devils still control their destiny to win the ACC, even with this loss to Clemson.
