The Clemson Tigers jumped out to a 6-3 lead early in the first half against the 21st ranked Purdue Boilermakers, but it wouldn't last.
Led by Kenneth Lowe, Purdue used an 18-2 run early in the game to keep Clemson at bay throughout the night.
The Tigers were continually hassled by the tough man-to-man defense of the Boilermakers, having each shot challenged from all parts of the floor. Each time it looked like Clemson would make a run and cut the lead under 10 points, Purdue would respond with a critical defensive stop and either a quick bucket on the fast break, or a back breaking three pointer.
The Boilermakers won the game from behind the arc, where they finished 9-of-16 from 3-point range. Clemson was only 1-of-12.
Sharrod Ford led the way with 12 points, 7 rebounds (all in the first half), and 5 blocks. Lamar Rice and Shawan Robinson each added 11 points apiece.
Clemson would finally get the lead under 10 points with just under one minute remaining in the game on a Lamar Rice three pointer, but by then, it was too late.
"Our inability to get the ball into the post was a problem tonight," said head coach Oliver Purnell. "They did a good job of banging us and playing a physical game and then we just kept turning the ball over."
The win was the first ever for Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Clemson now falls to 3-2 overall in the yearly event.
With the loss, the Tigers fall to 3-1 on the year. The Tigers return home to the friendly confines of Littlejohn Coliseum to face archrival South Carolina this Saturday night at 7 PM.
A limited number of tickets are still available for the game. Call 1-800-CLEMSON for more information.
CLEMSON (3-1)
S.Ford 6-11 0-2 12, Babalola 3-11 1-1 7, Hobbs 3-5 2-2 8, Hamilton 1-4 0-1 2, Christie 2-10 4-8 8, Rice 5-8 0-0 11, Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Hudson 0-2 0-0 0, Robinson 5-12 1-1 11, Akingbala 1-2 3-4 5. Totals 26-66 11-19 64.
PURDUE (5-0)
Buscher 0-1 0-1 0, Booker 2-6 1-2 5, Teague 5-9 0-0 12, McKnight 3-9 2-2 9, Lowe 5-12 10-13 24, A.Ford 0-1 0-0 0, Kartelo 2-3 8-8 12, Parkinson 0-1 1-2 1, Buckley 2-4 1-2 7, Carroll 0-0 0-0 0, Kiefer 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 22-51 23-30 76.
Halftime - Purdue 39-27. 3-Point goals - Clemson 1-12 (Rice 1-3, Hamilton 0-1, Hudson 0-1, Babalola 0-2, Christie 0-2, Robinson 0-3), Purdue 9-16 (Lowe 4-6, Teague 2-3, Buckley 2-4, McKnight 1-3). Fouled out - Hobbs. Rebounds - Clemson 41 (Ford, Babalola 9). Purdue 34 (Kartelo 8). Assists - Clemson 9 (Hamilton 4), Purdue 15 (Buscher, McKnight, Parkinson, Buckley 3). Total fouls - Clemson 24, Purdue 21. A - 11,217.
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