Men's Basketball

Mitchell, No. 16 Clemson top Akron in Cayman Islands Classic

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) - Shelton Mitchell scored 22 points with four steals, Elijah Thomas had 15 points and 12 rebounds and No. 16 Clemson beat Akron 72-69 on Monday in the first game of the Cayman Islands Classic.

Marcquise Reed added 16 points for Clemson (4-0), which returns four starters from last season's Sweet 16 game. Sophomore Aamir Simms added 12 points to reach double figures for the fourth straight game after doing it just three times last season. Mitchell was 9 of 13 from the free-throw line compared to Akron's 15 attempts, and Thomas secured his 12th career double-double with 4:08 to play.

Mitchell had 10 points in the first half as Clemson led for 18 of the 20 minutes. He made two free throws with 40 seconds left for a 70-59 lead, and Akron's Daniel Utomi capped it with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Loren Cristian Jackson made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points for Akron (3-1). Utomi had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Tyler Cheese also scored 13. Eleven of Akron's 23 baskets came from 3-point range.

Notes (courtesy of clemsontigers.com): Clemson starts 4-0 for the just the second time under Brad Brownell … Clemson moves to 2-0 all-time against Akron (both games played outside the continental United States) … Brad Brownell wins his 153rd game at Clemson – leaving him four wins shy of passing Bill Foster for second all-time in program history … Shelton Mitchell scored a team-high and season-high 22 points … the total was Mitchell’s sixth 20-point game of his career … Mitchell finished with nine free throw makes –– tying his career best … Mitchell tied his career-best with four steals in the contest … Mitchell’s 15 shot attempts tied a career high … Elijah Thomas notched his 12th career double-double (posted nine last season) … Thomas grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds … Aamir Simms extended his streak of double-digit scoring to four-straight games (three such games all of last season) … Simms also extended his streak of games in which he has hit his first 3-point attempt to four-straight contests.