CLEMSON – Headed into Saturday’s matchup against Boston College, the Clemson Tigers were ranked first in the ACC in scoring defense.

But Shawn Poppie’s squad took defensive pressure to a whole new level against the Eagles, allowing no field goals inside the three point line for 20 minutes of game time in a 83-59 win at Littlejohn Coliseum. 

The Eagles, leaders in the ACC in three-pointers attempted, knocked down eight shots from beyond-the-arc in the first half against the Tigers, accounting for 24 of 27 first-half points. The scorching hot Eagles’ three other points came from the charity stripe after a foul on a three-point attempt. 

The Tigers (17-8, 8-5 ACC) could not stop Boston College (4-22, 0-13 ACC), who averages eight triples per game, from long range in the first half, but they shut them down everywhere else. Led by two first half steals from Demeara Hinds, Clemson forced eight first half turnovers and maintained a dominant 20-to-12 rebounding advantage through two periods.

On the offensive end, guard Moore kept the Tigers in it against the blazing Eagles early, with seven first quarter points on 3-of-3 shooting, along with two assists and two rebounds. In the first quarter, Moore surpassed her shooting percentages and point totals from her last two games against North Carolina and Florida State. 

The senior finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists at the halftime break, as the Tigers headed to the locker room equipped with a 41-27 lead.

Guard Rusne Augustinaite added seven first-half points on 3-of-11 shooting, while Demeara Hinds, in a return to the court after missing two games, had eight points to start on perfect 4-of-4 shooting.

The Tigers held the Eagles scoreless for the last 6:36 of the second half, going on a 15-0 run to secure a double-digit lead that seemed ironclad, at least until the third quarter.

In the start of the third quarter, Boston College cooled off from the three-point line, making no shots on two attempts from long range, but got its first two baskets in the paint from forward Kayla Rolph. The Eagles went on to make five of their six attempts in a stretch in the third quarter, with seven points coming off of Clemson turnovers. 

After being outscored 20-12 in the second quarter, the Eagles bested Clemson 23-21 in the third. Boston College forced four Clemson turnovers, scoring four points in transitions off the turnovers. After failing to make a basket inside in the first half, the Eagles scored 16 points on 61% shooting.

Offensively, Moore kept the Tigers ahead with 10 points in the third, including a three pointer and three shots from the charity stripe. Augustinaite added a triple and Hinds added four points and a seven rebounds to give Clemson a 62-50 lead entering the fourth. 

Moore served as Clemson’s leading scorer, finishing with a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds, and six assists. It marked her third time scoring 20 or more in a game this season. Augustinaite finished with 15 points, and Hinds added 14 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting. 

Clemson finished with 41 rebounds to Boston College’s 27, 27 bench points to the Eagles’ 12 and two blocks.

When It Was Over

The Tigers held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, but extended it to 20, the largest lead of the game, with a 6-0 run with 5:02 to play. As Raven Thompson scored a layup off a Moore assist to make the score 75-55, the familiar whistle of Boston College calling a timeout signified a nearby victory.

Sloppy with the ball

Despite forcing 14 Boston College turnovers, Clemson turned the ball over 13 times, allowing 15 Eagles points off of error. The Tigers ranked the second-lowest in turnovers per game headed into Saturday. However, Clemson turned it over only once in the fourth quarter.

Foul trouble

Starting forward Raven Thompson picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter. Guard Rachael Rose picked up her second foul in the second quarter, while guard Hannah Kohn added three before the halftime break. With two starters and an important bench piece sidelined, freshman Holland Harris got ten minutes of playing time and recorded an assist.

Injuries

Center Demeara Hinds was back for the Tigers Saturday afternoon after missing two games due to concussion protocol. Forward Hadley Periman appeared to be injured in the second half, but after riding the stationary bike returned to action and finished with two points and four rebounds.

New for Poppie

The win marked Poppie’s first over Boston College at Clemson, and the Tigers and Eagles are now tied 1-1 in the first two years of his tenure.

Up Next

The Tigers will continue their homestand with their second-to-last game at Littlejohn Coliseum this Thursday when they will look to avenge a loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from January. Clemson is 1-4 in its last meeting with Georgia Tech. The Tigers and Yellow Jackets will tip off at 8 p.m. Coverage will be shown on Acc Extra.