EditorsNote: takes out extra word "on" in 5th graph
Aamir Simms scored a career-high 25 points and Clemson recovered in the final few minutes to knock off No. 3 Duke 79-72 as fans stormed the court in Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday night in Clemson, S.C.
Tevin Mack added 22 points and John Newman III had 14 points for the Tigers, who have won three consecutive games, including Saturday's first-ever win at North Carolina.
Clemson halted Duke's nine-game winning streak. The Blue Devils (15-2, 5-1 ACC) were led by Vernon Carey Jr.'s 20 points, Tre Jones' 17 points and Cassius Stanley's 14 points.
Simms, one of the heroes in Saturday's win over the Tar Heels, shot 10-for-15 from the field. Mack, a transfer from Alabama, made 10 of 14 shots from the floor. Each pulled down nine rebounds, with Simms contributing five assists.
Clemson (9-7, 3-3) trailed by one point with less than six minutes left but was up 70-64 with 3:05 to go. Simms converted a three-point play for a 73-65 edge at the 2:16 mark. Jordan Goldwire drained a 3 for Duke, but the Tigers broke the press and Newman nailed a corner 3.
Trailing 76-70, Duke went two possessions without scoring, and then Newman's drive for a basket increased the spread to 78-70 with 22 seconds left.
The Blue Devils had held a 5-0 ACC record for the first time in 11 years.
Duke had limited seven consecutive opponents to no more than 65 points, but Clemson topped that mark with about four minutes remaining.
The Blue Devils were hurt by 10-for-20 shooting on free throws, although Clemson was just as bad, making 11 of 22.
Newman scored six points in a 27-second span as the Tigers snapped a 22-22 tie and led the rest of the half. Clemson held a 40-33 halftime edge, buoyed by 57.7-percent shooting from the field.
After trailing 49-40, Duke surged ahead 55-52 with a 15-3 run, capped by a Carey layup.
Duke played without sophomore swingman Joey Baker, who suffered a sprained ankle in practice this week.
--Field Level Media
