Clemson Travels to Syracuse for Thursday Night Game
Game Information vs. Syracuse:
Who: Clemson Tigers (11-9, 1-6 ACC) at Syracuse Orange (15-5, 3-4 ACC)
When: Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Listen: Clemson Tigers Network/ClemsonTigers.com (William Qualkinbush & Kelly Gramlich)
Live Stats: Cuse.com
Follow: Twitter & Instagram: @ClemsonWBB
Clemson Team Notes:
The Tigers (11-9, 1-6 ACC) are coming off of a 90-37 loss on the road at No. 5/2 Notre Dame on Sunday, Jan. 21. Sophomore Kobi Thornton posted her second-straight double-double in the contest, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Through 20 games and as of the games of Jan. 22, 2018, Clemson leads the ACC and ranks 28th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.7%) and is second in the conference and 30th nationally in field goal percentage defense (36.0%). In scoring defense, the Tigers are fifth in the ACC and 36th in the nation, allowing their opponents to score an average of 57.6 points per game.
As a team, the Tigers rank second in the ACC and 20th nationally in blocked shots (107) and second in the league and 23rd nationally in blocked shots per game (5.4).
Clemson’s defense has held two of the nation’s top-12 teams to some of their lowest scoring outputs of the season. On Nov. 16, the Tigers held No. 10/10 South Carolina to 66 points in Littlejohn Coliseum, the Gamecocks’ second-lowest point total of the season to date. On Jan. 4, also at home at Littlejohn, Clemson held No. 12/11 Florida State to 69 points, tied for the Seminoles’ second-lowest scoring output through their first 20 games.
Clemson finished nonconference play with a 10-3 record in 2017-18. In the past two seasons, the Tigers have a 21-5 (.808) record in nonconference play (11-2 in 2016-17 and 10-3 in 2017-18). It is the best two-year nonconference record for the program since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, when Clemson was 23-4 (.852) in two seasons.
Clemson Player Notes:
Thornton leads the Tigers in scoring in ACC play, averaging 11.6 points per game through the team’s first seven conference contests. She is second overall in scoring, with 9.7 points per game on the season. The 2017 ACC All-Freshman Team selection also leads the team in rebounding, with a 7.2 per game average.
Junior Danielle Edwards leads Clemson in scoring on the season with 10.1 points per game. She also leads the team in steals (55, 2.8 per game) and assists (47, 2.4 per game.)
Edwards’ 55 steals rank third among ACC players and 22nd among all players nationally.
Edwards’ 86.2% (50-for-58) from the free throw line is second-best in the league and 33rd in the nation.
Three Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring in ACC play, Thornton (11.6), sophomore Jaia Alexander (10.6 ppg) and senior Alexis Carter (10.4).
The Tigers have two players in the top seven in the ACC in blocked shots. Freshman Tylar Bennett ranks fifth with 37 blocked shots and a 1.9 per game average, while Thornton ranks seventh with 33 blocked shots and sixth with 1.7 blocked shots per game.
Series Information:
Syracuse has a 6-0 all-time record against Clemson in women’s basketball.
Last season, the 25th-ranked Orange defeated the Tigers 88-62 on Jan. 5, 2017 in Littlejohn Coliseum. Aliyah Collier scored 25 points and Jaia Alexander was also in double figures with 10.