Shawn Poppie's Tigers secure largest comeback of the season over Miami

Clemson came back from down 16 to top Miami (Clemson athletics photo).

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Thursday, January 23 2025

CLEMSON - Back home in Littlejohn, the Tigers appeared to be on a crash course for their fifth loss in a row.

Raven Thompson and the Clemson offense had different plans.

With 1:18 left to go in the fourth, Thompson drove to the basket and secured the “and one” opportunity to put the Tigers up three.

From that moment, Clemson didn’t let go, as Shawn Poppie’s unit rallied from down 16 points in the second, putting together a furious comeback to snap a four-game losing streak, taking down Miami, 64-61.

Despite everything thrown Clemson’s way, Thompson did more than enough to secure a crucial home victory. Her scoring efforts came in the second half, leading the Tigers with 17 points, adding several clutch baskets in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Those efforts didn’t come easily, however. Clemson found itself trailing most of the evening, unable to escape the swarming Hurricane defense.

That trouble followed them entering the fourth quarter, as the Tigers faced a 10-point deficit and had quite a disadvantage in the turnover margin.

Turnovers rattled Clemson all evening, having reached double figures in that margin before heading into halftime. The Tiger offense tried to slice into the Hurricane’s passing lanes, and those attempts were met with a storm of defenders.

The Tigers averaged a little over 13 turnovers per game and eclipsed that number early in the third quarter. Miami scored 24 points off of those opportunities, while Clemson finished with 20 in the evening.

The ball pressure disrupted attempted sets and hurried up a rhythmic start for this unit, which hit five of their first nine shots. Conversely, the Tigers couldn’t force the issue on the other end. In one such instance, Anya Poole read the eyes of Haley Cavinder well as she tossed a pass into the paint, hitting the arm of Poole.

The ball shot upward and right back into the hands of Cavinder, and she scored shortly after, encapsulating the type of night Shawn Poppie’s group was experiencing.

Cavinder entered tonight as Miami’s top option, nearly averaging 18 points and eight rebounds per game. The Hurricanes’ leading scorer dropped 18 points on Thursday evening, adding multiple treys from deep.

Conversely, Clemson’s leading scorer in Loyal McQueen was held in check for the entire evening. Entering the matchup with Miami, she led the Tigers with 14.3 points per game, being the consistent option for the offense. McQueen didn’t record her first basket until the fourth quarter, finishing with six points on the night.

The Alabama transfer previously had three straight games in double figures, with that streak being snapped on Thursday night.

Mia Moore was second in scoring with 14 points, fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Clemson (11-9) moves to 4-5 in the ACC and has an opportunity to get back to .500 in ACC play on Sunday.

The Tigers’ 16-point comeback is the largest of the season.

Clemson will host Syracuse on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to close a two-game homestand and seek .500 in conference play.

MIA MOORE STEAL AND SCORE 🔥

Tigers are on a 13-3 run with 6:30 to play.

📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/kUgcjIRd7g
— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) January 24, 2025

FINAL: #Clemson 64 | Miami 61

Shawn Poppie and the Tigers secure the largest comeback of the season, overcoming a 16 point deficit to take down the Hurricanes.

Here’s the scene in Littlejohn:@ClemsonTigerNet pic.twitter.com/5gc6wUZyQX
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) January 24, 2025