Clemson uses 3-ball to surprise No. 23 Alabama

PJ Hall scored 21 points and contributed to a torrid second-half shooting performance from the perimeter as Clemson knocked off No. 23 Alabama 85-77 in an ACC/SEC Challenge game on Tuesday night at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Joseph Girard III had 16 points, Chase Hunter added 15 points and RJ Godfrey supplied 11 points off the bench for the Tigers. Ian Schieffelin contributed nine points and 14 rebounds.

Clemson (6-0) made eight 3-pointers in the second half. Girard finished with four threes for the game, while Hall and Hunter each had three.

Mark Sears made four 3-pointers on his way to 23 points for Alabama (5-2). Aaron Estrada pumped in 16 points and Grant Nelson had 14, but the Crimson Tide dropped to 4-1 in home games with their second loss in their past three games overall.

Both teams made 11 shots from 3-point range in the contest. There was a wide gap in overall shooting percentages, though, as Clemson connected on 53.3 percent of its attempts from the field compared to Alabama's 34.3 percent.

The Tide held a 20-10 edge in free-throw scoring despite Hall's four foul shots in the last 27 seconds.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Girard and Hunter extended Clemson's lead to 76-66 with 4:38 to play.

There were several notable shifts after the teams were tied at 44.

Sears hit a couple of threes to help send the Crimson Tide to a 53-46 edge. Then came Clemson's 13-0 run, beginning with seven straight points from Hall in a 58-second span and ending with Girard's 3.

The Crimson Tide had a field-goal drought of over four minutes in between threes from Sears and Estrada.

Of Alabama's first 17 field goals, nine were 3-pointers. The Crimson Tide didn't make a trey in the last eight minutes of the game.

Clemson led 33-32 at halftime.

Alabama won each of its previous four home games by at least 22 points.