Ace Buckner career-high and Dylan Faulkner Double-Double Lead Tigers
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson University men’s basketball opened the 2026-27 season with an 85-72 victory against Stetson on Monday night in Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Tigers (1-0) were led by led for all 40 minutes of the contest and five Tigers reached double digits. Ace Buckner (Dallas, Texas/La Lumiere School (Ind.)) reached a new career high of 20 points in 26 minutes of action.
Dylan Faulkner (Calhoun, Ga./Calhoun), who produced at a high level over two preseason games against Georgia and Presbyterian, posted a double-double with 16 points on an efficient 7-8 shooting, while pulling in 11 rebounds, and dishing five assists. Faulkner added two blocks.
Faulkner became just the second player under Brad Brownell at Clemson to post at least 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in a game. Ian Schieffelin did so on November 26, 2024 against San Francisco with 18 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.
Cole Certa (Le Roy, Ill./IMG Academy) scored 13 points and tallied a team-high and career-best six assists while also recording four rebounds.
David Fuchs (Vienna, Austria) added 12 points and three rebounds in his regular season debut and Liutaurus Lelevicius (Kaunas, Lithuania) rounded out the scoring with 13 points and five rebounds. All five starters netted double figures.
Clemson closed the opening stanza on a 12-0 run over the last 6:07 and led Stetson by 25 at the break, 49-24.
In the second half, Clemson held off multiple runs from the Hatters and held a lead of 72-49 with 8:29 remaining. Stetson outscored the Tigers by 12 in the second half, but Clemson held on for the 13-point victory.
Chase Thomson (Glenwood, Minn./Alexandria Area) added six points off the Tiger bench, while Harris Reynolds (Atlanta, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic) added four.
Clemson went to the foul line 35 times and made 26, drawing 24 fouls against Stetson in the game.
Clemson returns to action at Littlejohn Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 6 when it hosts American University at 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
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Notes: Clemson improves to 1-0 this season … Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 484th career game and 317th at Clemson … the Tigers are now 16-1 in season openers under Brownell and have won 41-of-its-last-42 dating back to the 1985-86 season … the Tigers improved to 8-0 against Stetson and 5-0 at games played in Clemson … Coach Brownell is now 2-0 against the Hatters in his career … since the start of the 2022-23 season, Clemson has won 99 games – the second-most in the ACC … Ace Buckner notched a new career high point total with 20 points in 26 minutes against Stetson … Cole Certa dished out a career-best six assists (previously had posted two on seven occasions – Certa only posted 26 assists last season and had just 31 total in 49 career games at Notre Dame) … Dylan Faulkner posted his first double-double of the season and 13th of his career with 16 points and 11 rebounds … his performance with five assists and two blocked shots has been done just once under Brownell at Clemson – Ian Schieffelin posted 18 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks against San Francisco (11/26/24) … Faulkner’s five assists tied a career-high (5 at Western Carolina, 2/1/26) … Chase Thompson set a new career high with two blocked shots.