CLEMSON, S.C. — Ace Buckner hit five 3-pointers on his way to 26 points Friday night, and Clemson pulled away late to beat American 82-73 and stay unbeaten in the young season.
Buckner, among only seven players back from last year, made 9 of his 14 shots and handed out six assists. Liutaras Lelevicius chipped in a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards, and it was his 3-pointer with 6:14 left in the first half that put the Tigers in front for good.
Dylan Faulkner finished with 12 points after a 16-point, 11-rebound effort in the opening win over Stetson on Monday. Cole Certa added 10, and Clemson won the glass 40-29.
American, which fell to 0-2, jumped out to a seven-point edge early and never let the Tigers build more than a 14-point cushion. Madden Collins led the Eagles with 23 points after scoring 20 in a loss at Cincinnati to open the year.
Coach Brad Brownell has leaned on a short bench, using an eight-man rotation in the opener while forward Carter Welling recovers from a knee injury. Chase Thompson, who has emerged as the first player off the bench, pulled down five rebounds.
The win pushed Clemson to 2-0 all-time against American. The programs had not played since a 98-58 Tigers victory on Dec. 12, 1977.
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