Consolation prize: Clemson knocks off No. 3 Duke in hoops

Clemson gave its weary fans something to celebrate a night after losing national championship game in football, getting a career-high 25 points from Aamir Simms in a 79-72 upset of . 3 Duke on Tuesday night.

It was highest-profile upset for Tigers since beating . 1 rth Carolina on ir home court in February 2001. And just like that day, students rushed court at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Blue Devils (15-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) came into game a 10 1/2-point favorite and leing nation with an aver margin of victory of 21.5 points. Duke h t lost since a stunning home defeat to Stephen F. Austin in vember.

Tigers completed one of rarest of ACC doubles. y beat rth Carolina in Chapel Hill for first time in program history Saturday, ending a 59-game losing streak on Tar Heels' home court.

Clemson (9-7, 3-3) has w beaten rth Carolina and Duke in back-to-back games twice. or time came in 1990, when Tigers won ir only regular-season title in 67 ACC seasons.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Tigers’ football team fell short in its bid for a third national championship in five seasons, losing 42-25 to LSU in College Football Playoff championship game at Superdome in New Orleans. one expects Tigers to make a run to title in basketball, but for one night, y showed y could thump one of country’s best teams.

Like y did Saturday in Clemson's historic first win ever at rth Carolina, Simms and Tevin Mack dominated second half for Tigers.

Clemson led 40-33 at halftime and stretched le to nine points before Duke rallied. Blue Devils led 62-59 with 6:40 remaining.

That's when Clemson took control with a 14-3 run, including eight points from Simms. His three-point play me it 73-65 with 2:16 remaining.

Mack scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Simms was 10 of 15 from field and h nine rebounds and five assists.

Vern Carey Jr. scored 20 points for Duke and Tre Jones h 17.

BIG PICTURE

Duke: Blue Devils' defense, ball control and free throws betrayed m. Clemson shot 56.6%, far better than anyone else against Duke this season. Duke also turned ball over 15 times and me just 10 of 20 free throws.

Clemson: obituaries of Tigers' season written after a 73-68 overtime loss to Miami were premature. Clemson has won three in a row, shooting at least 43% in each game. And beating rth Carolina and Duke back-to-back is every ACC fan's dream.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Duke got jumped by Baylor in this week's AP Top 25 to fall to third. Blue Devils will likely drop furr.

UP NEXT

Duke: Blue Devils host . 11 Louisville on Saturday with first place in ACC on line.

Clemson: Tigers take on ir fourth of five rth Carolina-based ACC teams in a row when y he to rth Carolina State on Saturday. Clemson has never played five rth Carolina teams consecutively in one season.