CHAMPAIGN - Down by two and the outcome of an exciting, emotional game hanging in the balance, a number of last-second plays could have given an Assembly Hall crowd one final, gut-wrenching explosion.

A game-winning 3-pointer would have torn the roof off the house.

A tying basket would have triggered its own joyous outburst.

Even a missed shot at the buzzer would have uncorked a groan that would have signaled Clemson's hard-earned victory.

But absolutely no shot at all?

That was the hollow, empty, disappointing feeling that turned a crowd of 14,741 into a collection of slumped shoulders Tuesday night as Clemson thwarted Illinois' final push and held on for a 76-74 victory.

It was the only battle of unbeatens in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and it gave the 6-1 Illini their first loss despite 28 points from Mike Davis and 20 from Demetri McCamey.

But it was McCamey who ended up stymied on Illinois' final play of the game.

Clemson (8-0) led 76-74 when Demontez Stitt went to the line for a 1-and-1 free throw with 11.1 seconds left. Stitt missed and Davis controlled the rebound for the Illini.

During the timeout before Stitt's free throw, Illini coach Bruce Weber explained what he wanted to happen on the final play.

"We were going to push (the ball) and run a double ball screen and flare for Trent," he said, explaining that he expected Clemson's defense to swarm McCamey, perhaps leaving Trent Meacham uncovered in the corner.

"I thought Trent was wide open," Weber said. "I guess (McCamey) didn't see him. The reason we went for (a 3-pointer) was that I didn't think we would win in overtime. Chester (Frazier) was hurting and probably couldn't have gone anymore. And they had momentum. I wanted to give it a shot."After McCamey reached the top of the key, he was defended and apparently did not see Meacham. Instead, he hesitated and got a late pass to Frazier, who dribbled and never got a shot off before time expired.

"I was disappointed we didn't get a shot off to give us a chance," Weber said.

Davis, who was on the floor for the final play, offered this analysis:

"They knew Demetri was going to shoot the ball so they tried to double-team him. We couldn't get it to Trent and we got it to Chester too late."While the final play left a sour taste in Weber's mouth, he didn't have to look far to place blame for the team's first loss in other directions.

"In the second half, we fumbled it around and missed some chances to extend our lead," he said. "And you cannot win if you let a team score on (9 of 11) possessions and they did that (to end the game). We broke down (defensively) too many times. They have a lot of weapons, and to their credit made plays when it counted."

Illinois showed fatigue against Clemson's constant defensive pressure and looked a step slow in the second half, which opened the door for Stitt's effective penetration to the basket.

Stitt continually knifed inside and scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, a period in which Illinois committed 10 of its 17 turnovers.

After leading 40-32 at halftime, Illinois could not keep up the pace. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said his team's pressing defense contributed to Illinois' troubles in the second half.

"Our press has a tendency to wear teams down," Purnell said. "We try to make the opposition work 94 feet both ways. A lot of times in the second half you will see (defensive breakdowns) happen. We call it dying on the vine.

"We were tired, too. We were wilting. We said before the gamed we would be happy if it came down to that."

Illinois nearly won with Davis trying to be a one-man wrecking crew. He made 12 of 19 shots, including a buzzer-beater before halftime, and scored Illinois' first 12 points of the second half. McCamey added 20, but Illinois did not have as many effective offensive options as Clemson, which got 16 points from Trevor Booker and 14 each from Raymond Sykes and K.C. Rivers.

Illini center Mike Tisdale, who was coming off his MVP performance in the South Padre Island Invitational, never got into the flow and finished with no points and no rebounds.

Illinois did get a boost from Dominque Keller, who was 4-for-4 and scored eight points, from Rich Semrau, who had eight rebounds, and from Frazier, who had 12 assists but was dragging a badly bruised leg late in the game. Weber said they have talked about playing a game without Frazier, who suffered a deep leg contusion last Thursday in Texas. That decision will be made before Saturday, when the Illini take on Georgia at the United Center in Chicago.

"As you see, he's our energy and our defensive stopper," Weber said. "It just finally took a toll on him. When he gives in, it means he had nothing else left in the tank."

Now Illinois will have to deal with its first defeat.

"This showed us tonight we can play against one of the top teams and Clemson is a real good team," McCamey said. "Now we have a loss and we have to show how we man-up against a good Georgia team on Saturday."

mtupper@herald-review.com|421-7983