No. 13 Duke Bounces Clemson, 60-46, in ACC Quarterfinals

Friday, March 6

Duluth, Ga.

11 a.m.

Duke University

22-8,16-2ACC

Clemson

21-11,11-7ACC

Clemson

Duke

Photo by: Colin Hubbard

No. 13 Duke Bounces Clemson, 60-46, in ACC Quarterfinals

3/6/2026 1:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DULUTH, Ga. – Top-seeded Duke marched past ninth-seeded Clemson 60-46 in the Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals Friday morning. The Blue Devils led by 25 in the second half and finished with three in double figures in their 2026 postseason opener.

Toby Fournier paced the squad with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while Delaney Thomas poured in 14 and six rebounds and Taina Mair added 11 points and eight rebounds. Ashlon Jackson tallied a team-high four assists and two steals to go along with seven points. Duke's defense forced Clemson into 21 turnovers and blocked eight shots.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Duke and Clemson traded baskets in the first few minutes with Taina Mair netting five points in the early going to put the Blue Devils up 12-8 at the first media timeout. Mair and Toby Fournier both knocked down threes to help the early Duke lead.

The Blue Devils continued the hot hand from distance as Mair and Fournier both added threes to spur Duke into a 20-14 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Mair drained her second of the day coming out of the timeout, while Fournier hit from the top of the arc for the second time in the final minute. Riley Nelson hit a pull-up mid-range jumper to round out Duke's eight points in the final four minutes.

Delaney Thomas provided the offense for the Blue Devils early in the second period, scoring the first six points to push Duke up nine, 27-16. With Duke smothering the Tigers' offense, Nelson dropped in a free throw and Mair drained another three to balloon the lead to 13, 30-17, and force Clemson to call a timeout.

Fournier got going on the inside late in the second period as Duke used a 14-2 run to race into halftime with a 38-19 lead. The Blue Devils held Clemson without a point for 6:08 and Fournier scored in transition to finish the first 20 minutes with 12 points.

Duke limited Clemson to five points and to 18-percent shooting in the second quarter. The Blue Devils forced six turnovers, while turning it over just once themselves in the 10 minutes.

It was Ashlon Jackson's turn to get going in the third quarter as she scored the first two baskets to grow Duke's lead to 23, 42-19. Needing more than four minutes to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter, Clemson went on a 9-2 run and held Duke without a point for the final 4:03 to pull within 18, 46-28, after three quarters.

Fournier ended Duke's scoring drought early in the fourth quarter with an offensive rebound and putback to have the Blue Devils in front, 48-30. A Nelson jumper and Arianna Roberson layup extended Duke's lead to 52-31 with 6:36 to play.

After a Thomas layup, a mini 8-0 run for the Tigers brought them within 54-41 with 3:33 to play. Duke answered and put the game away with a Jackson layup and Fournier layup plus a free throw for a 59-41 edge with less than two minutes to play.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils advance to the semifinals where they will take on the winner between NC State and Notre Dame. Tipoff for Saturday's semifinal is 12 p.m. on ESPN2.

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