CLEMSON – Ninth-seeded Clemson could not pull off a second upset over top seed Duke in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday, falling 60-46 at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga.
The Blue Devils went on a 24-5 run across the second and third quarters to avenge their last-second loss to the Tigers 12 days earlier in Clemson.
Clemson (21-11) turned the ball over a season-high 21 times on Friday, and Duke capitalized with 14 points off of turnovers.
The Blue Devils put up 28 points in the paint to Clemson’s 18, and did not allow a single Tiger free throw attempt until the fourth period. Duke drained five 3-pointers to the Tigers’ four on 25 percent shooting, one day after Clemson made 10 triples on 50-percent shooting in a win over Virginia.
Duke’s size bothered a guard-heavy Clemson lineup, and it capitalized with nine steals and eight blocks.
The Tigers and Blue Devils traded blows early in the first quarter, as guard Rusne Augustinaite and Mia Moore knocked down three-pointers for the Tigers and Duke added three triples, two mid-range jumpers, and picked up early Clemson fouls for a 15-10 lead with 4:00 to play in the period.
Duke (22-8) got out to a 20-12 lead with 1:30 to play in the first after Clemson turned the ball over three times in a span of just two minutes. Guard Rachael Rose ended a three-minute scoring drought with a layup with under a minute left. Duke held a 20-14 lead after the first.
Despite turning the ball over five times in the first period thanks to Duke’s stifling defense, the Tigers and Blue Devils evenly split five rebounds each in the period. Clemson notched five points off of Duke turnovers, outscoring the Blue Devils in transition despite turning the ball over more. They also had six early points in the paint to Duke’s two.
On the first possession of the second quarter, Duke bothered Clemson with its length, grabbing three offensive rebounds to eventually take a 22-14 lead on a basket in the paint. Taylor Johnson-Matthews knocked down a long triple to cut into the lead, but Duke made four consecutive free throws and a three-pointer to take a 30-17 lead.
In that span, Duke secured five second chance points and four offensive rebounds, while Clemson scored only three points in the first five minutes of play. Clemson also turned the ball over on three second quarter shot clock violations. The Tigers were just 1-for-8 in the first five minutes of the second period and took no trips to the free throw line.
With the Clemson turnovers and shooting woes, Duke went on an 8-0 run to take a 32-17 lead with 3:50 to play. The Tigers went on a six-minute scoring drought, as they were shut out for the majority of the second period.
Clemson made only eight field goals to their 10 turnovers in the first half.
Rose led the Tigers in the first half with four assists, despite wearing several layers of tape on her leg, and Johnson-Matthews led Clemson with five points. Still, with a combined 21 first half points from Duke’s Toby Fournier and Taina Mair, including five triples, Duke held a 38-19 lead at the halftime break.
Duke opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run, and pulled away thanks to more Clemson turnovers. The Tigers’ scoring drought finally ended with a 7-2 run, featuring baskets from Augustinaite and Moore, but it was not enough to dent the lead Duke built in the first half.
The Blue Devils held an 18-point lead after three periods. Clemson pieced together just 14 points across the second and third quarters. However, the Tigers did manage to hold the Blue Devils to eight third quarter points.
Clemson scored 18 points in the fourth, their highest since 14 in the first quarter, but Duke added 14 points to secure the final lead. The Tigers outscored Duke in both the third and fourth periods.
Moore, dealing with a groin injury, again led the Tigers with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooing, along with four rebounds. Johnson-Matthews finished with 12 points and three rebounds. Rose added seven points and five of Clemson’s seven assists.
Fournier, a first team All-ACC player, led the charge for Duke with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks on 7-of-16 shooting. Mair added 11 points and eight rebounds.
TURNOVER WOES
In the first half, Clemson turned the ball over 11 times, around their average per game this season. Three minutes into the third quarter, Clemson had turned the ball over on six of its last nine possessions. The Tigers finished with 21 turnovers, a season-high. In the last outing against Duke, they only turned the ball over 12 times.
SERIES SPLIT
The Tigers have a 1-1 record against all three of the teams they have played twice this season — Virginia, Georgia Tech, and now Duke.
UP NEXT
Clemson will await its fate for the NCAA Tournament until Sunday, March 15, when ESPN hosts its annual selection show. The Tigers will have a full week before learning where they will start a potential run, which begins on March 20.
— photo Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications