Danielle Edwards totaled a season-high seven steals. (Lawton Hilliard photo)

by CU Athletic Communications - Thu Feb 28 22:26:20 GMT-04:00 2019

DURHAM, N.C. — The Clemson Tigers (18-11, 9-7) came up just short, 63-59, to the Duke Blue Devils (13-14, 5-10) in Clemson’s final game of the regular season. Facing a double-digit deficit with five minutes to play, the Tigers pulled to within one but could not complete the comeback.

Defensively, Clemson thrived for most of the game, forcing 26 turnovers, 17 of which came via steals. Floor general Danielle Edwards manned the Tigers' defensive efforts, registering a season-high seven steals on the night. For the third time in the 2018-19 slate, the Tigers had two players reach the 20-point mark as veteran guards Aliyah Collier and Simone Westbrook scored 20 points apiece to lead the way for Clemson.

The Tigers shot the ball well in the first half to take a 9-point lead into halftime thanks in part to a 4-of-8 effort from 3-point range.

The Blue Devils committed 13 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of play but were able to right the ship in the third. Duke shot 50 percent from the floor, outscoring the Tigers 23-11 to take a 45-42 advantage into the final 10 minutes. A pair of defensive stops in the final minutes of action allowed Duke to escape with the 63-59 win.

With their final regular season game behind them, Clemson looks ahead to the ACC Tournament, which kicks off in Greensboro, N.C. on Wednesday, March 6. The seeding for the tournament will be announced on Sunday evening.

Game Notes: With a start against Duke, senior Danielle Edwards passed Barbara Kennedy-Dixon for sole possession of third in program history for most career starts (119)...Edwards has started 119 of her 120 games played in a Clemson uniform...Guard Simone Westbrook posted 20 points for her fourth 20-point outing of the season...For the third time this season, two Tigers reached the 20-point mark (Collier - 20, Westbrook - 20)...Edwards finished the night with seven steals, setting a new season-high and moving into third all-time in Clemson history for career steals (287)...Clemson tied its season-high with 17 steals, marking the 23rd time the Tigers eclipsed the 10-steal mark this year.