CLEMSON — Joe Girard deferred questions about what he’s like after losses to his girlfriend, but Clemson’s fifth-year senior put it simply.
He’s not fun to be around.
“I’ve said before, I’m probably the biggest sore loser there is,” Girard said. “Sometimes, I wear it with my energy and stuff like that, which isn’t good.”
There was ample reason for Girard to be grumpy as No. 21 Clemson saw its 11-1 start to the season turn sour during three straight losses to ACC foes. Girard, in particular, was very un-sharpshooter-like, hitting just 1 of 9 from 3-point range in losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
But after the Tigers’ 89-78 victory over Boston College, Girard was able to smile a bit. He’d just poured in 26 points in Littlejohn Coliseum, raising the volume with perfectly arched 3s in a 5-of-11 performance from deep. His counterpart in the post, senior center PJ Hall, scored 26 points, too, rolling to the rim and imposing his will in a manner that had been absent in recent weeks.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell knows how important it is for the Tigers’ best players to play well. It was relayed that Girard said he isn’t fun to be around when he’s losing, and Brownell quipped that the Syracuse transfer was presumptuous to think he was enjoyable the rest of the time.
Brownell then thought back to a talk he had with Girard, Hall, and point guard Chase Hunter after Miami blew past the Tigers, who turned in a lowly second-half effort. They didn’t pull things together in the next two games, going ice cold in a low-scoring loss to UNC, and failing to emotionally bounce back in a loss at Virginia Tech. But the post-Miami discussion was meant to push Clemson’s trio to a place they eventually landed versus Boston College.
“You’re all good players, you’re gonna have a bad game. It happens. Get past it,” Brownell told them.
A decisive win over the short-handed Eagles (10-6, 1-4 ACC) offered a chance for the Tigers to finally release whatever was weighing them down.
Girard shot just 2 of 8 from the floor in Saturday’s first half, but he buried 3 of 5 from deep on his way to 17 second-half points. He was visibly pleased as he heated up, clenching and shaking his fists as he took a confident backpedal to the defensive end of the floor.
Hall, who found himself floating around the perimeter more in a pair of 4-of-13 shooting efforts versus UNC and Virginia Tech, established himself inside versus Boston College. He was 10 of 18 from the field.
