Clemson Tigers vs. Syracuse Orange

Dec 31, 2025

FINAL

Box Score

	1	2	T
CLEM	29	35	64
SYR	28	33	61

Game Recap

Godfrey scores 14, Welling plays key role in final seconds and Clemson edges Syracuse 64-61. RJ Godfrey scored 14 points, Carter Welling made a key free throw and steal in the final seconds, and Clemson edged Syracuse 64-61 in an ACC opener on Wednesday.

Player Stats

CLEMSON	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
22Carter Welling	27	2-9	0-2	3-5	5	2	2	0	1	2	7
10Jake Wahlin	24	3-4	0-0	0-1	5	1	0	1	0	0	6
0RJ Godfrey	29	7-9	0-1	0-1	4	2	1	1	2	4	14
1Jestin Porter	29	4-8	1-3	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	1	9
2Dillon Hunter	21	4-5	2-2	0-0	2	1	0	0	2	4	10
3Chase Thompson	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
8Dallas Thomas	2	1-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
11Nick Davidson	21	2-5	0-2	1-2	4	1	1	0	1	3	5
21Ace Buckner	19	3-10	0-2	2-3	1	0	3	0	1	1	8
4Butta Johnson	24	1-4	1-3	0-0	2	1	2	0	0	2	3
TOTAL	-	27-5648.2%	4-1625.0%	6-1250.0%	24	9	10	2	8	18	64

SYRACUSE	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
42William Kyle III	25	1-4	0-0	2-4	4	0	0	2	1	3	4
0Sadiq White Jr.	11	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2
4Nate Kingz	28	2-3	1-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	3	5
11Naithan George	31	2-9	1-3	5-6	6	6	1	0	3	1	10
2J.J. Starling	34	2-7	0-2	0-0	2	2	1	2	4	3	4
10Ibrahim Souare	12	1-1	0-0	1-1	1	0	0	0	1	0	3
1Donnie Freeman	28	5-11	2-5	6-6	9	0	0	1	3	3	18
5Tyler Betsey	16	2-3	1-2	3-3	3	0	0	0	0	0	8
7Kiyan Anthony	15	2-4	0-1	3-4	0	0	1	1	1	0	7

TOTAL	-	18-4540.0%	5-1533.3%	20-2483.3%	26	8	3	6	14	14	61

Play-by-Play

Scores OnlyExpand All

1st halfCLEMSYR

(20:00) Start game.
(19:56) Jump Ball won by Clemson.
(19:56) Jump Ball lost by Syracuse.
(19:35) Carter Welling misses 8-foot hook shot.
(19:32) William Kyle III Defensive Rebound.
(19:26) Foul on Dillon Hunter.
(19:26) Naithan George misses free throw 1 of 2.
(19:26) Syracuse Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (19:26) Naithan George makes free throw 2 of 2.
01
+2 (19:14) Jake Wahlin makes driving layup.
21
+2 (18:53) Sadiq White Jr. makes 6-foot hook shot.
23
+2 (18:35) RJ Godfrey makes driving layup.
43
(18:16) Foul on Sadiq White Jr..
(18:16) Sadiq White Jr. turnover.
+2 (18:01) Carter Welling makes layup.
63
(18:01) Foul on William Kyle III.
+1 (18:01) Carter Welling makes free throw 1 of 1.
73
(17:47) Sadiq White Jr. misses 13-foot jumper.
(17:45) Jake Wahlin Defensive Rebound.
(17:25) Carter Welling bad pass turnover.
(17:25) J.J. Starling Steal.
(17:19) Naithan George misses layup.
(17:16) Jestin Porter Defensive Rebound.
(17:09) Foul on Nate Kingz.
+3 (16:59) Jestin Porter makes 27-foot three point jumper.
103
(16:25) Foul on RJ Godfrey.
(16:25) William Kyle III misses free throw 1 of 2.
(16:25) Syracuse Deadball Team Rebound.
(16:25) William Kyle III misses free throw 2 of 2.
(16:25) Jake Wahlin Defensive Rebound.
(16:12) RJ Godfrey misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(16:08) Naithan George Defensive Rebound.
(15:55) Donnie Freeman misses 13-foot jumper.
(15:51) Dillon Hunter Defensive Rebound.
(15:42) Carter Welling misses layup.
(15:42) Donnie Freeman Block.
(15:38) RJ Godfrey Offensive Rebound.
+2 (15:38) RJ Godfrey makes 0-foot tip in layup.
123
(15:30) Foul on Carter Welling.
(15:23) Foul on Ace Buckner.
+3 (15:08) Tyler Betsey makes 29-foot three point jumper (Naithan George assists).
126
(14:45) Ace Buckner misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(14:42) Tyler Betsey Defensive Rebound.
(14:31) Donnie Freeman misses 5-foot jumper.
(14:31) Clemson Defensive Rebound.
(14:01) Ace Buckner misses 10-foot jumper.
(13:58) Donnie Freeman Defensive Rebound.
(13:54) Naithan George bad pass turnover.
(13:54) Butta Johnson Steal.
+2 (13:41) Dallas Thomas makes layup (Butta Johnson assists).
146
(13:36) Naithan George bad pass turnover.
(13:36) Butta Johnson Steal.
(13:34) Chase Thompson bad pass turnover.
(13:34) Kiyan Anthony Steal.
(13:33) Foul on Dallas Thomas.
+1 (13:33) Tyler Betsey makes free throw 1 of 3.
147
+1 (13:33) Tyler Betsey makes free throw 2 of 3.
148
+1 (13:33) Tyler Betsey makes free throw 3 of 3.
149
(13:24) Dallas Thomas misses 29-foot three point jumper.
(13:20) Donnie Freeman Defensive Rebound.
+2 (12:54) J.J. Starling makes 12-foot jumper.
1411
(12:51) Butta Johnson misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(12:51) Tyler Betsey Defensive Rebound.
(12:49) J.J. Starling bad pass turnover.
+2 (11:48) Nick Davidson makes layup.
1611
(11:28) Foul on Butta Johnson.
+1 (11:28) Kiyan Anthony makes free throw 1 of 2.
1612
+1 (11:28) Kiyan Anthony makes free throw 2 of 2.
1613
(11:11) Carter Welling misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(11:07) Ibrahim Souare Defensive Rebound.
(10:51) Kiyan Anthony bad pass turnover.
(10:51) Jestin Porter Steal.
+2 (10:46) Jestin Porter makes layup.
1813
(10:42) Ibrahim Souare turnover.
(10:30) Jestin Porter misses layup.
(10:30) Kiyan Anthony Block.
(10:25) Donnie Freeman Defensive Rebound.
(10:17) Donnie Freeman misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(10:14) Nick Davidson Defensive Rebound.
+2 (9:51) Jake Wahlin makes 12-foot jumper.
2013
+2 (9:23) Kiyan Anthony makes driving layup.
2015
(9:02) Foul on William Kyle III.
(9:02) Nick Davidson misses free throw 1 of 2.
(9:02) Clemson Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (9:02) Nick Davidson makes free throw 2 of 2.
2115
(8:45) Sadiq White Jr. misses 16-foot jumper.
(8:44) RJ Godfrey Defensive Rebound.
(8:33) Nick Davidson misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(8:33) Naithan George Defensive Rebound.
(8:33) Kiyan Anthony misses layup.
(8:33) RJ Godfrey Block.
(8:33) Clemson Defensive Rebound.
+2 (8:09) RJ Godfrey makes 2-foot dunk (Dillon Hunter assists).
2315
+3 (7:49) Nate Kingz makes 26-foot three point jumper.
2318
(7:27) Nick Davidson bad pass turnover.
+2 (7:11) Ibrahim Souare makes 4-foot alley oop dunk (Naithan George assists).
2320
(7:10) Foul on Jestin Porter.
+1 (7:10) Ibrahim Souare makes free throw 1 of 1.
2321
(6:47) Butta Johnson misses layup.
(6:47) J.J. Starling Block.
(6:41) J.J. Starling Defensive Rebound.
+3 (6:38) Naithan George makes 28-foot three point jumper (J.J. Starling assists).
2324
(6:01) team shot clock turnover .
(5:32) Naithan George misses 11-foot jumper.
(5:28) RJ Godfrey Defensive Rebound.
+2 (5:24) Dillon Hunter makes 8-foot jumper.
2524
(5:04) Donnie Freeman misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(5:01) Dillon Hunter Defensive Rebound.
(4:54) Carter Welling misses layup.
(4:47) Nate Kingz Defensive Rebound.
(4:46) Foul on Dillon Hunter.
+1 (4:46) Naithan George makes free throw 1 of 2.
2525
+1 (4:46) Naithan George makes free throw 2 of 2.
2526
(4:26) Jestin Porter misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(4:23) J.J. Starling Defensive Rebound.
(4:04) Kiyan Anthony misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(4:00) Carter Welling Defensive Rebound.
+2 (3:48) RJ Godfrey makes 5-foot dunk (Carter Welling assists).
2726
(3:36) J.J. Starling misses driving layup.
(3:32) Carter Welling Defensive Rebound.
(3:29) Jestin Porter misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(3:28) Ace Buckner misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(3:28) Donnie Freeman Defensive Rebound.
(3:27) Clemson Offensive Rebound.
(3:15) J.J. Starling misses layup.
(3:15) Jake Wahlin Block.
(3:10) Syracuse Offensive Rebound.
(2:55) Nate Kingz misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(2:51) Naithan George Offensive Rebound.
+2 (2:49) Tyler Betsey makes layup (Naithan George assists).
2728
(2:17) team shot clock turnover .
(1:58) Tyler Betsey misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(1:54) Ace Buckner Defensive Rebound.
(1:42) RJ Godfrey misses layup.
(1:38) Donnie Freeman Defensive Rebound.
(1:23) Donnie Freeman misses 11-foot turnaround jump shot.
(1:17) RJ Godfrey Defensive Rebound.
(1:09) Jake Wahlin misses 12-foot jumper.
(1:09) J.J. Starling Block.
(1:09) Clemson Offensive Rebound.
+2 (0:57) Ace Buckner makes 15-foot jumper.
2928
(0:29) Naithan George misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(0:26) Carter Welling Defensive Rebound.
(0:07) Foul on J.J. Starling.
(0:06) Foul on Donnie Freeman.
(0:00) Ace Buckner misses 10-foot jumper.
(0:00) Carter Welling Offensive Rebound.

2nd half

Team Stats

CLEM

SYR

64Points61

27-56(48.2%)Field Goal(%)18-45(40.0%)

4-16(25.0%)3-Point(%)5-15(33.3%)

6-12(50.0%)Free Throw(%)20-24(83.3%)

31(7)Rebounds(Offensive)30(5)

9Assists8

10Steals3

2Blocks6

12Turnovers15

18(0)Fouls(Technical)14(0)

10Largest Lead1

Game Details

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 · 2:00 PM

JMA Wireless Dome · Syracuse, NY

attendance: 16,245 (33.1%)

tv: ESPN2

spread: CLEM -1.5

over/under: 140.5