Clemson didn’t make it easy, but the Tigers did enough Tuesday night to take down South Carolina, 68-61, inside Littlejohn Coliseum, and the reaction afterward reflected exactly how the night felt.
Ace Buckner was the clear storyline. With injuries thinning the backcourt, Buckner stepped into the moment and delivered the best performance of his Clemson career. His confidence on offense showed up at key points, especially in the second half when the Tigers needed separation. It was the kind of night that changes how a player is viewed moving forward.
Defensively, Clemson fans will point to South Carolina’s struggles from the perimeter as a major factor. The Gamecocks generated looks, but nothing fell consistently, allowing the Tigers to stay in control even when the offense stalled. That defensive effort helped offset a frustrating night at the free throw line, where Clemson left plenty of points on the floor.
There was also concern surrounding injuries. Zac Foster exiting early and Butta Johnson being limited changed rotations and forced adjustments, making the win feel a little heavier than the final score suggests.
Clemson bullies South Carolina on defense to pick up a rivalry win https://t.co/IRy0fhCOqhpic.twitter.com/YR9Yp2BzBv
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) December 17, 2025
It wasn’t the cleanest rivalry win, but it was a meaningful one. Clemson protected its home floor, leaned on depth, and walked away with momentum heading into the final non conference matchup against Cincinnati.
Here’s a look at how social media reacted to Clemson’s win.
OUR STATE.🐅 #ClemsonGRITpic.twitter.com/N5sRUy1dIm
— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) December 17, 2025
Designing a new Clemson basketball jersey after every win.
9⃣ – OUR STATE! pic.twitter.com/xyPFx6uoRJ
— Austin Pendergist (@apthirteen) December 17, 2025
CLEMSON MOVES TO 9-3 WITH A WIN AGAINST INSTATE RIVAL SOUTH CAROLINA. OUR STATE 🐅 pic.twitter.com/ogNL2WZoE8
— Adam (@adamdropsbombs) December 17, 2025
Clemson has now taken 2 out of 3 of the major men’s sports with baseball coming up at the end of February (we swept them in that last year) awesome time to be a Tiger in this state 🐅 pic.twitter.com/O2XS5zl1iI
— Adam (@adamdropsbombs) December 17, 2025
YOU JUST WITNESSED THE ACE BUCKNER LEGACY GAME.
CLEMSON WINS THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
WE MOVE 🫡 https://t.co/cvPGpNF9HDpic.twitter.com/f3UATyzzmZ
— Cliff Spammonds (@CliffSpammonds) December 17, 2025
https://t.co/UOtsyvJumppic.twitter.com/EncYLDP2CA
— Clemson University (@ClemsonUniv) December 17, 2025
Young Buck 🐅 pic.twitter.com/WBBE7vyC52
— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) December 17, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Social Media Reactions to Clemson’s Huge Win Over South Carolina
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