Watch: Clemson's Chase Hunter beats halftime buzzer

Clemson players celebrate the buzzer beater of guard Chase Hunter Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Clemson's Chase Hunter caps off excellent half with deep buzzer-beater

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 3/24/24

Clemson senior guard Chase Hunter is rising to the occasion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Baylor.

Before the end of the first half, Hunter drilled a long buzzer-beater, giving the Tigers a 35-25 lead. He scored 11 points in the first half and had three assists.

CHASE HUNTER BEATS THE FIRST HALF BUZZER #MarchMadness @ClemsonMBB pic.twitter.com/9E6ziENDph
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2024

Clemson's leading scorer PJ Hall (18.7 points per game) struggled in the first half, only scoring four points on five attempts while drawing two fouls. Hunter stepping up was pivotal for the No. 6 seed Tigers (22-11) and could help them pull off an upset over the No. 3 seed Bears (24-10).

Before his team's matchup against Baylor, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell defended his claim that the Big 12 – the conference Baylor plays in – scheduled weaker opponents to receive more bids in the tournament.

"Yeah, and it was in no disrespect to the [Big 12], but I do think they figured some things out,'' Brownell said, via ESPN.com. "I think it was more a compliment than anything. I think there are a lot of teams in their league that scheduled in a way that helped their NET [NCAA Evaluation Tool]."

While it's a bold take, Clemson upsetting Baylor would support it.

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