South Carolina @ Clemson preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2018 ) Clemson 78, South Carolina 68

Clemson's five-game winning streak feels like a lifetime ago. The Tigers have since dropped three in a row - a tough loss followed by two blowouts - and attempt to pick up the pieces Sunday at home against in-state rival South Carolina.

The Tigers' winning streak was snapped with a four-point loss to Colorado, which along with an 18-point setback at Minnesota and a 19-point defeat at Florida State have led to some tough times as non-conference season winds down. They gave up 15 3-pointers in the loss to the Seminoles and have yielded 70-plus points in three straight games, something they didn't do in any of their first six contests. "Once they get momentum and start making a few 3s, it becomes extremely difficult," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after the Florida State game. South Carolina is coming off a 20-point home loss to Houston and hopes to figure things out before facing defending champion Virginia in its next game.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (6-4): A.J. Lawson (15.9 points) is the top scorer for South Carolina, but the team won't be able to count on his offense if his defense doesn't improve soon. "I didn't play Michael Beasley (at Kansas State) when he didn't defend. I'm not going to play A.J. Lawson when he doesn't defend," coach Frank Martin said. Malik Kotsar, who chips in 10 points per game and a team-high 6.1 rebounds, has committed only one turnover in 95 minutes over the last three outings.

ABOUT CLEMSON (5-4): The Tigers have several capable scorers with Tevin Mack (13.8 points) serving as the team's leading scorer both on the year and in the game against Florida State (14 points). Freshman guard Al-Amir Dawes added 13 in that one, but he also had six turnovers, giving him 18 over the last four games. One of Clemson's biggest issues is rebounding as the team ranks 285th nationally with 33.4 boards per game; Aamir Simms (11.3 points, 8.0 boards) is the only player on the team grabbing at least five rebounds per game.

TIP-INS

1. Lawson shot 2-of-10 against Houston after a sizzling three-game run in which he shot nearly 57 percent from the floor.

2. In his last four games, South Carolina G Jermaine Couisnard is 1-of-11 from 3-point range.

3. Nine games into the season, nobody on Clemson has more than five blocks.

PREDICTION: South Caroilna 64, Clemson 60