WVU, Clemson both dealing with disappointment in Charleston Classic

MORGANTOWN — Clemson and West Virginia will both have something in common when they meet in the third-place game of the Charleston Classic at 5 p.m. Sunday:

Both schools believe they should be playing in the championship game.

And for good reason, too.

While the Mountaineers (3-1) gave up a 12-point halftime lead Friday night and lost to Marquette, 82-71, in the semifinals, Clemson (4-1) held a 51-37 lead with 13:21 remaining, only to see No. 22 St. Bonaventure finish on a 31-14 run to pull out a 68-65 win.

“Clemson is better than Marquette, much better,” WVU head coach Bob Huggins said on his radio postgame show Friday. “We’ll watch the Clemson game and try to figure something out.”

WVU STATS

Both comebacks were quick and decisive.

Marquette needed less than seven minutes in the second half to take its first lead and then took the lead for good with 9:25 remaining.

St. Bonaventure made four consecutive 3-pointers to help wipe out that 14-point deficit in less than six minutes.

After both teams went back and forth for the next six minutes, St. Bonaventure took the lead for good on another 3-point shot with 1:35 remaining.

If the 3-point shot is thought to be a great equalizer, it was the source of defeat for the Tigers and Mountaineers in the semifinals.

St. Bonaventure shot 10 of 12 (83.3%) from behind the arc in the second half to pull of its comeback against Clemson.

Marquette went 8 of 13 (61.5%) in the second half in pulling off the comeback against WVU.

“We give up a barrage of straight-line (drives),” Huggins said. “Well, when somebody gets straight-lined, somebody has to help or they’re going to dunk every ball. So, our guys run in to help — the ones that are awake — and they pitch out to their man and they made threes.

“They all hurt us. They all made open threes.”

Giving up drives to the basket was a problem the Mountaineers faced last season, too, but appeared to be improving with the defensive play of guards Kedrian Johnson and Malik Curry.

Johnson, though, has been dealing with foul issues and was in foul trouble again against Marquette and was limited to just 12 minutes of action.

Huggins said there is no quick fix when it comes to shutting down driving lanes.

“I’m thinking about just standing five guys in the lane and hope they just miss shots,” Huggins said jokingly. “I think that’s the only way we can keep people from straight-lining us.”

As for the match-up, Clemson will have to deal with WVU guard Taz Sherman, who is averaging 24 points per game at the Charleston Classic.

Clemson has five players averaging double figures in scoring led by 6-foot-10 sophomore forward P.J. Hall, who is averaging 15.4 points, while shooting 8 of 16 from 3-point range.

TWEET @bigjax3211