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Clemson women’s basketball picked up one of its most meaningful wins in a generation on February 22, 2026, rallying from a double-digit deficit to shock No. 9 Duke 53–51 at Littlejohn Coliseum. In front of 3,218 fans in Clemson, South Carolina, the Tigers closed a 39–30 fourth-quarter gap and won it on a three-pointer by reserve guard Hannah Kohn with just 3.1 seconds remaining, snapping Duke’s 17-game win streak and handing the Blue Devils their first ACC loss of the season.
The upset pushed Clemson University to 19–9 overall and 10–6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, delivering the program’s first 10-win ACC campaign since 2000–01. It was also Clemson’s first victory over a top-10 opponent since December 2022 and only its second win over an AP top-10 team in the last 25 seasons, all coming in head coach Shawn Poppie’s first season in charge.
The afternoon did not initially look like the backdrop for a program-defining upset. Duke arrived in Clemson riding two months of dominance, unbeaten in ACC play and fresh off 17 straight wins. The Blue Devils immediately imposed their will behind standout forward Toby Fournier, an ACC Player of the Year candidate, turning defense into offense and relentlessly attacking the glass.
Midway through the first quarter, Duke strung together a 17–2 run, building a 20–8 lead and repeatedly beating Clemson down the floor. In transition and in the half court, the Blue Devils exploited their length and athleticism, while the Tigers struggled to generate clean looks and finish possessions on the defensive glass.
The onslaught continued into the second quarter. Duke’s advantage swelled to 14 points as Clemson’s offense sputtered, and Littlejohn grew noticeably tense. That stretch featured a 22–4 burst by the Blue Devils, who looked every bit like a seasoned top-10 team on the road, poised to methodically close out another statement win.
It took an unexpected source to finally steady Clemson: senior center Morgan Lee. Known far more for her interior presence than for perimeter shooting, Lee buried a rare three-pointer to halt Duke’s extended run. That shot did more than just trim the margin on the scoreboard. It shifted the Tigers’ energy and signaled that there was still time to change the momentum.
Coupled with improved defensive rebounding and more physicality in the lane, Lee’s three helped Clemson University reel Duke back in. The Tigers closed the half on a more composed note, cutting what had been a 14-point deficit down to 29–23 at the break. Duke still appeared in control, but the game’s rhythm had subtly changed.
Out of halftime, Duke returned to its formula. The Blue Devils continued to dictate tempo, slowing Clemson in the half court and contesting nearly everything in the paint. The Tigers managed only seven third-quarter points, and Duke edged the period 10–7 to take a 39–30 lead into the final frame.
Fournier, as expected, set the pace for Duke’s attack. She had 18 points and seven rebounds through three quarters, mixing mid-range jumpers with finishes around the basket. With her production and Duke’s defensive track record, the matchup appeared to tilt firmly toward a routine finish for the visitors. For Clemson, the task was clear and daunting: overcome a nine-point deficit in 10 minutes against a top-10 team that had yet to lose in ACC play.
Instead of folding, Clemson delivered its most complete 10 minutes of the season. The Tigers’ fourth-quarter effort combined suffocating defense, elite rebounding and poised shot-making to flip the game.
The defensive transformation started with Fournier. After carving up Clemson through three quarters, she was held scoreless in the fourth. The Tigers tightened their help defense, crowded driving lanes and forced Duke to play deeper into the shot clock. Possessions that had been crisp and decisive became labored and contested.
For a team that has made defense its identity under Shawn Poppie, the fourth quarter was a statement. Clemson held Duke under 60 points, marking the 17th time this season the Tigers have held an opponent below that threshold. That consistency on the defensive end, documented throughout the winter, is exactly the kind of profile NCAA evaluators look for when assessing whether a team can translate its style into postseason play.
On the offensive end, graduate forward Demeara Hinds became the engine of Clemson’s rally. Hinds attacked the paint relentlessly, drawing contact, getting to the free throw line and keeping possessions alive on the offensive glass. Her ability to extend plays and create second-chance points chipped away at Duke’s cushion and wore down the Blue Devils’ interior defense.
Hinds finished with a team-high 13 points on efficient shooting, pairing that production with eight rebounds, including three on the offensive end that led directly to crucial scoring sequences. For a Clemson group built more on balance than star power, her performance embodied the collective toughness that defined the comeback.
With the deficit shrinking and the crowd re-engaged, senior guard Mia Moore seized the game’s pivotal moment. Trailing by just a possession in the final minutes, Moore attacked off the dribble, drove hard to the rim, absorbed contact and finished through it for a three-point play.
She calmly sank the free throw, giving Clemson its first lead of the afternoon at 44–43 with just over three minutes remaining. That single sequence encapsulated her role on the night: part scorer, part creator, part emotional catalyst. Moore ended the game with 11 points, six assists and three steals, orchestrating the Tigers’ offense while creating havoc defensively on the perimeter.
With the building rocking after Moore’s and-one, Clemson fed off the momentum. Forward Taylor Johnson-Matthews stepped into the spotlight next. On the following trip, she knocked down a three-pointer from the wing, extending the lead to 47–43 and capping a stunning 17–4 Clemson run.
Johnson-Matthews ultimately matched Moore’s 11 points and added seven rebounds, providing the kind of two-way production that wins big conference games. At that juncture, it felt like Clemson had seized full control. Yet Duke, as most elite teams do, answered.
The Blue Devils showed their composure down the stretch, chipping away at the lead and setting up a dramatic finish. With the clock winding under 10 seconds and Clemson clinging to a narrow advantage, Duke guard Riley Nelson found space in the corner and drilled a three-pointer, pushing Duke back in front 51–50 and silencing the home crowd.
Clemson quickly used a timeout to advance the ball and design a final play. The stakes were enormous: either a heart-wrenching defeat after a fierce comeback, or a defining moment in the rejuvenation of the Tigers’ program.
Out of the timeout, Clemson put the ball where it had belonged all quarter: in Moore’s hands. Receiving the inbounds pass above the free-throw line, Moore drove aggressively toward the lane, forcing Duke’s defense to collapse around her penetration.
As defenders converged, reserve guard Hannah Kohn slipped into open space at the top of the key. Kohn had yet to score and had missed her earlier attempts, but she did not hesitate. Moore kicked the ball out to her, and Kohn rose into a clean, rhythm three with 3.1 seconds showing on the clock.
The shot was pure. When it splashed through, Clemson surged ahead 53–51 and Littlejohn Coliseum erupted. For a reserve who had been quiet statistically all afternoon, it was the kind of program-changing moment that players dream about: a walk-off shot against a top-10 opponent, ending one of the nation’s longest win streaks.
Duke had one last chance, but Clemson’s defense, as it had for much of the fourth quarter, delivered again. On the ensuing inbounds play, Johnson-Matthews deflected Duke’s pass, preventing the Blue Devils from even getting a potential tying or winning shot toward the rim before time expired.
While Kohn’s three and Moore’s playmaking will headline the highlight reels, the box score tells the fuller story of why this win could resonate deep into March. Clemson’s upset was less about one superstar performance and more about a collective, balanced effort.
The defensive numbers are just as important. Holding Duke below 60 points fits a season-long pattern: this was the 17th time Clemson has limited an opponent to fewer than 60. That kind of defensive backbone is exactly what can travel in March, whether to the ACC tournament or, increasingly likely, the NCAA tournament.
For longtime followers of Clemson women’s basketball, the magnitude of this result is difficult to overstate. Per the program’s own recap and national coverage from outlets like ClemsonTigers.com and ESPN, this was:
Ending Duke’s 17-game winning streak and handing the Blue Devils their first ACC loss also reshapes the conference narrative. Duke had been one of the steadier forces in women’s college basketball this season, and a setback like this underscores just how deep and dangerous the ACC has become. For Clemson, it is proof of concept for Poppie’s vision in his first year, showing that the Tigers can not only compete with but beat the league’s elite.
Nationally, the result drew attention across the women’s basketball landscape. The NCAA’s own coverage of a day filled with top-10 upsets, including Clemson’s win, highlighted how volatile the stretch run can be for ranked teams and how critical late-February performances are for bubble squads and risers alike. Fans can track the broader context and daily results on the official NCAA women’s basketball page at https://www.ncaa.com/sports/basketball-women/d1.
Beyond the emotion of the moment, this game looms large for Clemson’s postseason hopes. The victory over Duke added a third Quad 1 win to the Tigers’ résumé, a metric the NCAA selection committee heavily weighs when evaluating at-large candidates. Quad 1 results measure how teams perform against top-tier opponents, especially away from home, but home wins against highly ranked foes also carry significant value.
Entering the final stretch of the regular season, Clemson’s profile now features:
With two road games remaining on a West Coast swing to California and Stanford, Clemson suddenly looks less like a fringe bubble team and more like a dangerous potential middle seed in the NCAA bracket if it can build on this momentum. The ability to execute in late-game, high-pressure situations against a top-10 opponent is exactly the kind of trait that can separate teams in committee discussions.
For recruits and families tracking the Tigers, this type of win signals a program moving upward at the right time. It shows that players who choose Clemson will have the chance to compete in sold-out atmospheres, challenge ranked opponents and build NCAA tournament-caliber résumés.
When a new head coach arrives, it often takes time for a program-wide identity to form. For Shawn Poppie and Clemson, this Duke upset is a clear marker that the foundation is already in place. The Tigers’ defensive commitment, balanced scoring and composure in big moments all point to a culture that values toughness and unselfish basketball.
Reaching 10 ACC wins for the first time since 2000–01 illustrates just how far the program has come in one season. That success is not just about a single upset, but this victory will likely be remembered as the performance that took Clemson’s momentum from promising to undeniable.
For prospective student-athletes considering Clemson, this trajectory matters. It indicates that players can step into a system that maximizes roles, develops both guards and forwards, and emphasizes team defense, all while competing in one of the sport’s premier conferences.
If you are a high school guard, wing or post player thinking about ACC women’s basketball, this game offers a blueprint of what matters at the next level:
If this kind of culture and path appeals to you, resources like the Pathley Basketball Hub can help you explore similar programs, understand conference landscapes and build a realistic list of target schools.
Watching a program like Clemson break through with a signature win can spark new questions for recruits and families: Is a school like Clemson a realistic fit? How do its academics, campus feel and basketball profile compare to other options? Where else in the ACC or nationally is women’s basketball on a similar trajectory?
Pathley is designed to help you dig into those questions with real structure, not just scattered online searches.
As you refine your target list, you can also look at Pathley’s Rankings Directory to see curated lists of colleges by academics, affordability and overall strength, then overlay that information with what you see on the court from teams like Clemson.
The story does not end with Duke. Clemson closes the regular season with a challenging West Coast trip to face California and Stanford, two programs that carry their own prestige and stylistic tests. Strong performances there would further solidify the Tigers’ NCAA tournament positioning and reinforce the idea that this team’s identity travels.
Regardless of how the final games unfold, the win over Duke will stand as a touchstone moment for the 2025–26 season: the day Clemson women’s basketball proved it could not only hang with a top-10 team, but also out-execute one in the tensest minutes of a fourth quarter.
For recruits, parents and coaches watching from afar, it is a reminder of how fast a trajectory can change in college sports when the right pieces align. A program that had not reached 10 ACC wins in more than two decades now has a statement victory and a renewed path toward March relevance.
If this Clemson–Duke thriller has you thinking more seriously about your own college basketball future, use that inspiration to get organized. Build or update your athletic résumé with tools like the Pathley Athletic Resume Builder, then start comparing schools side by side using Compare Two Colleges to see which campuses truly fit your academic, athletic and financial goals.
Big upsets like Clemson’s over Duke show how quickly a program’s profile can rise. With the right information and planning, you can do the same for your recruiting journey, turning unforgettable games into a focused, confident path toward the right college team and campus.
