Nick Davidson finished with 18 points, an early-season best with the Tigers.

Grayson Mann · Staff Writer · Friday, November 07 2025

CLEMSON - Gardner-Webb was hanging around entering the half, and judging by Brad Brownell's temperament on the bench, he was letting the Tigers know it.

Clemson (2-0) turned a shaky close to the first half into an explosive outing to cruise past the Runnin' Bulldogs (0-2) to stay undefeated on the young season, 97-59.

An 11-2 run jolted that seismic second half to open the second half, capitalizing on Gardner-Webb's mistakes to put the matchup out of reach.

Clemson's defense was swarming once again.

Gardner-Webb's shooting numbers appear promising at first glance, but ball security made the difference on Friday night. The Runnin' Bulldogs coughed up the ball 16 times, allowing Clemson to take advantage on the other end.

The Tigers secured 22 points off of Gardner-Webb's miscues as the unit put together another strong night, making life difficult for opposing offenses.

To magnify the success that was had on that side of the ball, the Runnin' Bulldogs had 11 makes with 15:53 left in the second half, but also coughed up 12 turnovers.

Certainly, life was difficult for the visiting Big South squad on Friday night.

On the other side of the ball, Clemson's offense had plenty of strong contributors.

Nick Davidson, the prized Nevada transfer, was the Tigers' top scorer in a mostly electric first half, leading the team with 10 points as the team headed for the locker room.

Where he was more selective with his shots during the opener against New Hampshire, the senior showed more comfort within the offense, letting it rip from all three levels as Clemson attacked the Runnin' Bulldogs' zone.

Davidson finished with 18 points, an early-season best with the Tigers.

Utah Valley transfer Carter Welling got in on the action, logging double figures off the bench, finishing with a 14 point double-double, grabbing 11 boards off the glass.

Welling drained his first five makes, establishing a rhythm inside for easy baskets. He, along with RJ Godfrey and Davidson, formed a serious trio for the Runnin' Bulldogs to handle throughout the evening.

Godfrey finished with 13 points, going a perfect 5-5 from the field.

The scorer's table was busy once again, seeing the rotation at the bench at a consistent rate.