Nick Johnson scored 14 points, and Solomon Hill added 13, as Arizona picked up a nice non-conference win with a 63-47 home victory over Clemson on Saturday in the 27th annual Fiesta Bowl Classic at the McKale Center.
Arizona (7-3) beat Clemson at its own game, playing stifling defense and holding the Tigers to 31.7 percent shooting (19 of 60).
The Tigers (4-4) never fully recovered from a sluggish start. They shot 22.9 percent (8 of 35) in the first half, including missing all nine three point attempts, and trailed 29-16 at halftime.
Clemson heated up in the second half and pulled to 49-42 with 4:23 left, but Solomon Hill scored back-to-back baskets in the post and Johnson added a fast-break slam to put it out of reach.
Clemson’s three previous losses had come by a combined seven points.
Arizona improved to 46-2 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl Classic, including a 5-1 mark since the event changed to a one-game format in 2006.
Clemson’s Andre Young scored a game-high 17 points and was three of nine from 3-point range. Young has made at least one 3-pointer in 42 of his past 43 games.
