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No. 3 Notre Dame kept the Tigers at bay.
No. 3 Notre Dame kept the Tigers at bay.

Clemson unable to find offensive groove against No. 3 Notre Dame


Grayson Mann Grayson Mann - Staff Writer -

CLEMSON - Shawn Poppie’s Tigers looked to secure another signature victory in 2025, welcoming No. 3 Notre Dame to Littlejohn.

Despite a rally from the home unit, the offensive struggles were too much to overcome, as the Fighting Irish did just enough to get past Clemson, 67-58.

The Tigers dropped their second game in a row, moving to 3-3 in ACC play. Notre Dame’s winning ways continued to close the weekend, now riding a nine-game winning streak.

Notre Dame entered this matchup shorthanded, with star sophomore Hannah Hildago, who averages a whopping 25.7 points per game, missing Sunday’s action with an ankle injury.

Clemson went ten minutes without a basket at one point. Despite such a stretch, the defense held its own against one of the best offenses in the country, one that averages nearly 90 points per game.

The Tigers’ struggles were highlighted at every level offensively, unable to find success from deep, as opposed to some efficiency in the loss to Virginia.

Clemson’s first make from deep came with 7:42 left to play in the third quarter, magnifying the claustrophobic defensive attack that was sent their way. That type of chaos was felt inside the paint, with the size of the Irish leading to seven blocks, denying several possessions that stifled any momentum.

Loyal McQueen rebounded after a tough outing against Virginia, scoring way below her season average with a six-point performance. Clemson’s leading scorer led the way for the Tigers with 14 points in the losing effort, showing a consistency that kept the unit within striking distance for most of the afternoon.

McQueen also surpassed 1,000 career points early in the first half.

The Tigers finished the afternoon shooting 33.9 percent from the field, draining only three of their 19 three-pointers. Hannah Kohn contributed three of those makes from deep, tying McQueen as Clemson's leading scorer with 14 points on the afternoon.

Notre Dame finished with its lowest point total of the season, tying the previous number set in a loss at Utah with 67.

Clemson will begin a two-game road trip on Thursday, January 16th, when it travels to Tallahassee to face Florida State at 6:00 p.m.


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