Chase Hunter scores 18, Ian Schieffelin has double-double to send Clemson to 6th straight win

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Chase Hunter scored 18 points, Ian Schieffelin had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Clemson pulled way late to beat Miami 65-55 in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday.

Hunter scored 12 second-half points and Schieffelin picked up his fifth double-double this season as the Tigers (9-1) followed up their 70-66 triumph over No. 4 Kentucky on Tuesday with a victory over the Hurricanes for their sixth straight win.

Six-foot-11 Viktor Lakhin made just his fifth and sixth 3-pointers of the season in scoring all 12 of his points in the second half for Clemson, which shot 40%, making nine 3s.

Jalil Bethea scored 12 points off the bench to lead the Hurricanes (3-6), who lost their sixth straight after shooting 41% and just 4 of 25 from the arc. Lynn Kidd added 10 points but leading scorer Nijel Pack (16.1 ppg) was scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting.

Leading by three with 2:26 to go, the Tigers finished on a 9-2 run. After Pack missed a baseline 3, Hunter sank a foul-line jumper then Lakhin was fouled grabbing a defensive rebound and made two free throws for a 10-point lead with 33 seconds left.

Lahkin made consecutive 3-pointers midway through the second half in giving Clemson the lead for good.

There were seven lead changes and six ties in a game Clemson led 25-24 at halftime.

Schieffelin had 11 points, making all three of his 3-point attempts, and six rebounds in the first half when Clemson led by as many as 11.

Clemson is home against 16h-ranked Memphis next Saturday. Miami plays No. 3 Tennessee at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday.