Clemson Heads to Duke Looking for Upset Win

Cameron Indoor Stadium, photo taken on December 31, 2022. Photo By: Charles Mays

The Clemson Tigers will head to Durham, North Carolina, to take on the #10-ranked Duke Blue Devils, who are coming off a loss against the #14-ranked NC State. The Blue Devils are currently 17-5 overall on the season and 8-2 within ACC play, which has them tied for third place with Florida State. Their loss to NC State on Monday night was their first since January 9 when they lost to their fierce rivals, North Carolina, in overtime. Duke Head Coach Kara Lawson has been with the Blue Devils since 2020, and before being named head coach, she worked as an assistant for the Boston Celtics in 2019. Lawson has been very successful in her five seasons with the Blue Devils, making the tournament the last two seasons and reaching the regional semi-finals last year. This team is no different than years past as their dynamic duo of Ashlon Jackson and Toby Fournier have them poised for a top-3 seed in the tournament. Ashlon Jackson has been one of the most important players for Duke this season, averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 41.1% from behind the arc. In their loss against NC State, Jackson scored 23 points, along with two rebounds and two assists, while shooting 6/14 from downtown. Clemson must find a way to slow her down if they plan on upsetting the Blue Devils in Durham. The other key contributor to the Duke offense is Toby Fournier. The first-year student from Toronto, Ontario, averages 12.6 points per game and 5.6 rebounds on 53% shooting from the field. Fournier struggled against NC State, scoring only 11 points while shooting 3/9 from the floor. To make up for Fournier's struggles, Taina Mair had her best game of the season on Monday night. The junior from Boston, Massachusetts, had 21 points, five assists, and three steals, shooting 8/12 from the field and 4/5 from behind the arc. In her last four games, Mair has scored double digits while shooting the ball very efficiently, something that Shawn Poppie and the Clemson Tigers should keep an eye out for during Thursday night's affair. 

The Clemson Tigers come into this game in the middle of a rough patch, having lost their last two games and four of their last five. Clemson is 11-11 overall on the season and 4-7 within ACC play, which has them tied for 10th place with Boston College and Virginia. The Tigers are coming off their worst loss of the season within ACC play after losing to Boston College 94-65 Sunday afternoon. Clemson's defense struggled immensely, allowing 94 points on 57.4% shooting from the field and 40.9% from behind the arc. The offense for the Tigers wasn't much better either, as they scored only 65 points and shot 39.3% from the field. To get back on track, the Tigers will have to hope that Loyal McQueen can bounce back from her rough game on Sunday against Boston College. In that game, McQueen only scored 3 points and had four assists on 20% shooting from the floor. On the season, McQueen has been the Tigers' best player, averaging 13.4 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 steals. Clemson will need Loyal McQueen at her best if they have any chance of upsetting the 10th-best team in the country. Another key contributor to this Tiger team is Mia Moore. The junior from Alpharetta, Georgia, also struggled in Sunday's game, scoring only 6 points on 30% shooting from the field. Like McQueen, Moore is a far better player than her stat line against Boston College suggests. On the season, Moore averages 11.2 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. Tessa Miller is another player to look out for during Thursday night's affair. The 6'2" senior from Crossville, Tennessee, has had her fair share of struggles this season, with two games ending in zero points. But, against Boston College, Miller was by far the best player on the court with 19 points, five rebounds, a steal, and a block while shooting 70% from the floor. If Miller can continue to play like that and turn her season around, the Tigers have a shot at taking down the Blue Devils on Thursday night. Game time is set for 7:00 PM on February 6 at Cameron Indoor Stadium and is available to watch on ACC Network Extra.