CLEMSON, S.C-What do you get when you combine a near-perfect performance by a top 15 team and the worst gig of the season by a mediocre opponent?

A 104-76 blowout, that’s what.

The No. 13 Virginia men’s basketball team played flawlessly in an ACC showdown against Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday. Not known for outstanding shooting, the Cavaliers put together their best offensive showing since the start of the ACC season, shooting 57.4 percent from the floor and making 50 percent of their three-pointers. They also tallied a whopping 21 assists and out-rebounded the Tigers 43-32.

“In all candor, our guys just couldn’t have played better than today,” Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. “We shared the ball and were able to hit perimeter shots.”

But the story of Virginia’s success was its defense, which held Clemson to just 39.1 percent shooting, including a mere 28.6 percent from long range. The Cavaliers also shut down Tiger superstar Will Solomon, the ACC’s leading scorer at 27 points per game. Solomon was held to a season low 10 points on 2-of-14 shooting.

“It was our best defensive effort of the year,” Gillen said.

Saturday’s game was also one of the first times Virginia was able to perform well on both sides of the court.

“We put both ends together,” Gillen said. “Our defense was good and our shooting was good. It was nothing fancy, just a good all-around effort.”

Clemson, now sitting second to last in the ACC standings with a 1-6 conference record, didn’t help itself either. Terrible shooting, sloppy play and lackluster intensity plagued the Tigers. Other than a career-high 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting from freshman Chris Hobbs, they didn’t have much to cheer about.

“It wasn’t a competitive afternoon at all,” Clemson coach Larry Shyatt said. “Virginia outplayed us from start to finish. You can’t put up a performance like that against one of the best teams. We didn’t have the zip, the fire or the effort we needed. This is by far our worst performance of the year.”

Previously criticized for poor defense and the inability to play on the road, the Cavaliers made a statement Saturday. After all, it wasn’t just a squeak-by with slightly better defense. The Cavs exploded out of the gates and won decisively. A 28-point disparity in a road win is a rarity, especially in a conference as tough as the ACC.

“I’m very surprised about the margin of victory,” Gillen said. “It’s a tough place to play and [Clemson's] a tough team. I’d never thought there’d be this big of a difference in the game.”

But the Cavaliers, who stood last in the ACC in field goal percentage defense, were embarrassed by their efforts in the past few games. They wanted to silence their critics and restore their pride, and what better way to do it than putting up their best and most devastating performance of the ACC season?

“People said what they wanted, because all you had to do was look at the stats,” Virginia guard Roger Mason Jr. said. “Teams were shooting too high against us. So we looked at each other and within ourselves and said we had to crack down on it. We did that tonight.”