Stetson University Athletics’ men’s basketball team opened the 2026-27 regular season with an 85-72 loss to Clemson on Nov. 2 in Clemson, S.C. Clemson led 49-24 at halftime, but Stetson outscored the Tigers 48-36 after the break. The Hatters also made eight consecutive field goals from the 5:34 mark to the final 13 seconds.
Clemson built its lead during the opening half as Stetson searched for offensive consistency. Stetson responded after halftime by shooting 20-for-35 from the field and attacking the basket. The second-half effort reduced the final margin but could not erase the 25-point deficit.
Stetson rallies late
Stetson trailed by as many as 23 points at 76-53 before producing its strongest stretch of the game. Sean Morgan, Collin Kuhl, Magnus Entenmann, Roman Miller and Bankston Pourchier all contributed during the late run. Pourchier scored the first points of his collegiate career.
Alex Doyle made 3-pointers off assists from Thiago Sucatzky and Entenmann during Stetson’s second-half push. Sucatzky turned a steal into a fast-break layup at the 12:01 mark, and Miller added another steal. Stetson’s late sequence extended to eight consecutive made field goals.
Kuhl leads Stetson scorers
Kuhl led Stetson with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting and added four rebounds. Entenmann scored a career-best 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and collected five rebounds. The two players combined for 36 points.
Sucatzky finished with seven points, six assists and two rebounds. Makhi Myles added nine points and two steals while going 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. Stetson finished with 44 points in the paint, 29 made field goals and 28 bench points.
South Carolina next
The loss left Stetson at 0-1 overall and 0-0 in ASUN play, while Clemson moved to 1-0 overall and 0-0 in ACC play. Stetson was scheduled to continue its opening road swing against South Carolina on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The Hatters also were scheduled to visit West Virginia on Nov. 6.
FSB Take
Stetson’s 48-point second half showed that its offense could generate consistent production after the break. The eight-field-goal closing run and the contributions from Kuhl, Entenmann and Sucatzky gave the Hatters a late response. The immediate lesson from the opener is the importance of avoiding another early deficit as Stetson continues its road swing.
Source: Original report