Evan Smotrycz led a balanced attack with 18 points as Michigan pulled ahead early and held on for a 69-61 victory at Clemson on Tuesday night.

The Wolverines (4-2) scored 11 straight points to take an early 19-7 lead, then continued to stretch that margin through the first half, with the advantage peaking at 20 points just before the break. Clemson opened the second half with an 8-2 spurt to get within 10 and closed with another brief flurry, but could get no closer than seven points.

Clemson (5-2) was unable to overcome a 23-for-63 shooting effort (36.5 percent) despite a slim 38-35 rebounding edge and only 11 turnovers. Michigan helped its cause by outscoring the Tigers 19-8 at the free-throw line.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points for Michigan, while Darius Morris had 13 points, eight assists and four steals. Clemson was led by Andre Young’s 14 points.