Grantham leads as Clemson coasts past Louisiana-Lafayette

Donte Grantham scored 17 points and had a game-high 10 rebounds and Clemson, while one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, throttled one of the nation’s top offenses in an 89-60 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C.

The Ragin’ Cajuns came into the game averaging 88.6 points per game, 12th best in the nation. The Tigers entered play allowing only 62.9 points per game, tied for 23rd best in the nation.

Defense won out on this day as the Tigers (11-1) held the Ragin’ Cajuns (10-3) to 28.1 percent (16-for-57) from the field.

The Ragin’ Cajuns led for less than a minute, 8-7 on a dunk by JaKeenan Gant, at the 16:53 mark. Grantham’s layup and free throw on an old-fashion three-point play with 15:58 to go in the half put Clemson up 10-8. The Tigers wouldn’t look back as they stepped on the gas and opened a 23-14 lead over the next seven minutes.

A tip-in by Grantham and a 3-pointer by Marcquise Reed put Clemson up 31-17. The Ragin’ Cajuns cut the deficit to 37-28 on Marcus Stroman’s long jumper behind the arc. But Grantham and David Skara connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to give Clemson a 43-28 lead at intermission.

Louisiana-Lafayette managed only eight first-half field goals (on 26 attempts) and went 2-for-7 from beyond the arc. They did make 10 of 11 from the foul line in the first half and finished 22 of 23 for the game.

The Ragin’ Cajuns couldn’t stop the Tigers, despite Clemson’s leading scorer, Reed (15.5 points per game) scoring only five first-half points and ending up with eight points. Grantham scored 15 of his points in the first half to more than make up for Reed’s struggles.

Shelton Mitchell scored 10 of his 15 points in the first 20 minutes as Clemson shot 60 percent (15 of 25) from the field.

Stroman led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 16 points and Frank Bartley added 14.

The Tigers maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. The closest the Ragin’ Cajuns would get would be on a 3-pointer by Johnathan Stove at the 9:57 mark that made the score 63-51.