Tigers Look to Bounce Back Against Miami

Loyal McQueen looks to drive in a 65-61 win over Stanford, on January 5, 2025 in Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo Credit: Charles Mays-Tiger View Media

Coach Shawn Poppie and the Clemson women’s basketball team return home to Littlejohn Coliseum tonight for another ACC matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. The Tigers have faced a challenging stretch recently, losing their last four conference games against tough opponents. Tigers look to bounce back against a Miami team that has also struggled in their recent games. Let’s dive into the preview for this matchup.

Clemson is coming off a 24-point loss on the road at Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon, dropping their conference record to 3-5 for the year. This is certainly not what Coach Poppie and his squad had hoped for after their strong start earlier in the season. Fortunately, they now have an opportunity to bounce back and get back on track against the Miami Hurricanes. In this game, Clemson needs to improve their three-point shooting, as they failed to make a single three-pointer in the first half against Georgia Tech and finished the game shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. Consistent three-point shooting will be crucial against Miami. Another issue the Tigers faced was fouls, accumulating 21 total fouls in the last game. They must clean up these issues to be successful. As always, Clemson's performance will start with Loyal McQueen, the team leader in points and assists per game. McQueen is coming off another solid outing against Georgia Tech, where she scored 18 points and dished out six assists. Expect her to have another productive game against the Hurricanes. Right behind her is Mia Moore, who seems to feed off McQueen’s performance. In the last game, Moore contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Look for her to be another crucial impact player for the Tigers. One player hoping for a bounce-back game is Tessa Miller, who had a tough outing last game with only one rebound. She will look to return to her usual form and contribute significantly in points and rebounds. Another player aiming to improve is Hannah Kohn, who struggled with her three-point shooting, scoring seven points and shooting just 16.7% from beyond the arc. If these Tigers can refocus and address these issues, they have a good chance of returning to their winning ways.

Just like Clemson, Miami has also had a rough stretch recently, losing six conference games in a row and sitting at 1-6 in the ACC. Their lone conference win came against Pitt. The Hurricanes are coming off a 22-point loss to Florida State last Sunday afternoon. Despite shooting 41% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range, Miami struggled to stop Florida State's high-scoring offense, which shot 47.5% from the field and 50% from three. Key players to watch for Miami include Haley Cavinder, who leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Cavinder is coming off another solid outing against FSU, where she recorded 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Tigers must limit Cavinder’s all-around abilities. Jasmyne Roberts is another key player, finishing the last game with 16 points and five rebounds. Roberts has had great success in road games, shooting 46.6% from the field away from home, so Clemson will need to contain her as well. Lastly, Cameron Williams, who is second on the team in rebounds, will be another impact player. Williams had a quieter game last time, finishing with 10 points and only two rebounds. This trio of players for Miami will play a big part in the matchup against Clemson. Expect a competitive game between the Tigers and the Hurricanes. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum and can also be watched on ACC Network Extra.