Tigers pound Liberty, 79-39

LYNCHBURG, Va. - David Potter paces No. 23 Clemson with 17 points as the Tigers cruise to the win.

David Potter scored a career-high 17 points and hit five of Clemson's 10 3-pointers as the No. 22 Tigers routed Liberty 79-39 in a Tuesday matinee.

The Tigers (2-0), who needed to rally late last year to beat the Flames at Clemson, had no such issues in the game that began at 10 a.m. They led 17-1 before the Flames made their first field goal - with 13:02 left in the first half - and by a wide margin throughout.

Liberty (1-2), which got 24 points from freshman sensation Seth Curry in the 80-75 loss at Littlejohn Coliseum last season, could have used him again in the rematch. Curry, however, transferred to powerhouse Duke after the season, seeking a higher level of competition.

Clemson, a rival of the Blue Devils in the Atlantic Coast Conference, showed what he will face. The victory was the 28th in a row in November for the Tigers under Oliver Purnell, a streak dating to 2004. Potter helped extend the streak with his early shooting.

He had already matched his career high of 12 points after just eight minutes, hitting all four of his tries from 3-point range. He added another 3-pointer and layup after halftime.

Trevor Booker was the only other Clemson player in double figures with 12 points and 12 rebounds, but 13 Tigers scored in all.

Jesse Sanders led the Flames with seven points but also had nine of their 28 turnovers.

Harassed by Clemson's tight defense and full court pressure, Liberty missed its first nine shots from the field and trailed 17-1 until Jesse Sanders scored on a drive after almost seven minutes. The Tigers hardly let up, holding the Flames to 30 percent shooting overall.

The Tigers led 42-19 at halftime, and that proved to be enough to win.

The point total was the second-lowest for Liberty in the Vines Center. The Flames scored just 38 in a loss to the College of Charleston in 1991.