No. 9 Duke Falls at Clemson Sunday, 53-51

Sunday, February 22

Clemson, S.C.

2 p.m.

Duke University

20-7,15-1ACC

Clemson

19-9,10-6ACC

Duke

Clemson

No. 9 Duke Falls at Clemson Sunday, 53-51

2/22/2026 4:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Notes Photo Gallery

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson's Hannah Kohn knocked down a three with 3.1 seconds left to hand No. 9 Duke a 53-51 setback in ACC women's basketball action Sunday afternoon at Littlejohn Stadium.

Toby Fournier led the way for Duke (20-7, 15-1) with 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Riley Nelson scored in double digits with 10 points, while Taina Mair had nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

Trailing by four, 48-44, with 1:25 to play, Duke got threes from Ashlon Jackson and Nelson to regain the advantage, 51-50, with 9.5 seconds left on the clock. Clemson (19-9, 10-6) came out of the timeout and drained the three from the top of the arc. The Blue Devils got one last possession but couldn't get a look at the basket.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After Clemson scored the first two baskets of the game to go up 4-0, the Blue Devils rattled off 12 unanswered to roar to a 12-4 lead. Fournier keyed the run with 10 points, including a pair of old fashioned three-point plays.
Duke continued to run the floor well, extending its lead to 20-8 with a jumper from Nelson in the final second of the opening quarter. It was Fournier and Nelson pacing the Blue Devils on offense with 17 of the team's 20 points.
Defensively, the Blue Devils held Clemson without a point for 4:21 in the first quarter en route to building their double-digit lead.
Duke slowed down offensively in the second quarter, scoring just four points in the first seven minutes, as the Tigers went on a 10-0 run to pull within one, 24-23. Mair stopped Duke's scoring drought with a three from the top of the arc, and the Blue Devils went on to score the quarter's final five points for a 29-23 lead at the half. Delaney Thomas capped the period with layup off a dish from Fournier.
Fournier had an excellent first 20 minutes for Duke with 14 points, three blocks, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Clemson continued to slow down Duke's offense in the third, but the Blue Devils stayed steady on the defensive end to maintain their two-possession lead.
Duke forced Clemson into five turnovers in the first four minutes of the third period and started to slowly build a nine-point lead, 37-28, with three minutes left in the stanza. The Blue Devils kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for 5:56 to take a 39-30 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers refused to go away, using a 9-0 spurt to pull within one, 40-39, midway through the quarter. Jordan Wood hit a massive corner three to end Duke's scoring drought and put the Blue Devils back up 43-39.
Clemson grabbed its first lead since early in the first quarter with a three-point play from Mia Moore at the 3:25 mark of the fourth. The Tigers drained a three on the next possession to make it a four-point game, 47-43, before Thomas got the layup at the other end to cut Duke's deficit back to two.
The Tigers went back up four at 1:25, but Jackson picked the perfect time to hit her first shot of the game to pull Duke within one, 49-48.
The Blue Devils forced a turnover on Clemson's ensuing possession, getting the ball back for a chance to take the lead. A Jackson three was off the mark, but Nelson came up with the offensive board to give Duke the ball with 19.4 seconds left in regulation.
Clemson had a big defensive stop and converted one of two free throws to go up two, 50-48, with 13.3 ticks left and set up the exciting finish.
Demeara Hinds led all Clemson scorers with 13 points and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils closes its regular season home slate with Florida State, Feb. 26. Tipoff is 8 p.m., on ACC Network.

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