Back on Track

CLEMSON -- On the bench in khaki shorts nursing his mid-foot sprain, Demontez Stitt watched Trevor Booker shoot 2 of 16 from the field Sunday.

It is not a sustainable model for success, but it worked one night for a desperate team.

Stitt witnessed Clemson snap a three-game losing streak with a 62-53 home win against Atlantic Coast Conference-leading Maryland, despite shooting 31.9 percent. The percentage was the lowest for Clemson in a win since 1997.

But the Tigers (16-6, 4-4 ACC) played with a desperate urgency on the defensive end.

Tanner Smith and Noel Johnson smothered Maryland star guard Greivis Vasquez, who had nearly as many turnovers (9) as points (10).

Clemson forward Jerai Grant blocked four shots, grabbed 12 rebounds and scored a career-high 18 points, effectively dropping into the weak-side void near the basket as the Terps (14-6, 4-2) focused on Booker.

"I thought our team did a good job of adjusting to who we are right now," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "When (Stitt) is not in there our defense is even more important, because we don't get some of those easy baskets he can provide."

Purnell said the prior three days of practice were key in creating Sunday's defensive intensity.

After falling below .500 in the ACC race, Grant said the team entered Sunday "desperate."

The Tigers had fallen from The Associated Press rankings, and with four difficult ACC road games remaining on the schedule, seemed in danger of losing a grip on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With little hope of finding efficient half-court offense -- Clemson was 5 of 22 on 3-point shots Sunday and is shooting 25 percent from 3 in ACC play -- Purnell went to his last-resort message: dig in and play better defense.

"It was a kind of banding together," Purnell said.

Purnell said the situation without Stitt is similar to what he preached over the summer when questions arose over losing Terrence Oglesby and K.C. Rivers.

How does Clemson get better? Through defense.

Sound defense on Sunday started with containing Vasquez, an ACC Player of the Year candidate. The 6-6 senior entered averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, drawing NBA scouts from the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards to Clemson.

Vasquez was limited to 3-of-10 shooting and a 2-to-9 assist to turnover ratio by Tanner Smith and Noel Johnson.

"When he really gets it going he's in that comfort zone," Smith said. "You see him run up and down the court … You gotta force him to do things he doesn't necessarily want to do."

With Vasquez frustrated, the Tigers limited Maryland to 34 percent shooting and forced 26 turnovers against eight assists.

Clemson was especially good in the final eight minutes.

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