It was a time for Clemson Athletics last week, as the Tigers competed in a wide variety of sports ranging from soccer to basketball to football. Below are the Tiger Trophies for the week of Nov. 5 through Nov. 11:
Athlete of the Week: Amari Robinson
Robinson, a senior forward for the Clemson women’s basketball team, had a strong start to her season through her first two games of the year. She combined for 43 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists against the Winthrop Eagles and Charleston Southern Buccaneers.
In the Tiger’s first game of the season, a 71-41 win over Winthrop, Robinson scored 22 points and had six rebounds and two assists. Robinson shot an efficient 8 for 12 from the field and 6 for 7 from the free-throw line.
Robinson showed no signs of slowing down in the second game of the season against Charleston Southern, as Clemson won 85-55 behind Robinson’s 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. Robinson’s dominant performance on both sides of the ball has earned her this week’s Tiger Trophy for Athlete of the Week.
Game of the Week: Clemson men’s basketball defeats UAB
The Clemson men’s basketball team’s game against UAB in the Asheville Championship came down to the wire, but the Tigers managed to come away with a one-point victory, with a final score of 77-76.
Clemson was led by senior forward PJ Hall with 27 points, nine rebounds and two assists en route to the win. Hall’s defensive effort was also impactful in the game, as he had three blocks and two steals.
Clemson and UAB went back and forth in the final seven minutes of the game. Two clutch free throws from senior guard Chase Hunter sealed the win with three seconds remaining in the game, and Hunter ended the night with 16 points and four assists.
Best Crowd: Clemson men’s soccer vs. Duke
The Clemson men’s soccer team advanced in the ACC Tournament thanks to a 4-1 penalty shootout performance after both overtimes ended tied 3-3 with Duke on Nov. 5.
Clemson fans packed out the seats of the home at Historic Riggs Field, and the student section was roaring when Clemson needed it the most. The fans at Riggs, called the Orange Wall, showed out for the Tigers, banging the drums and screaming their support throughout the entire game.
Most Surprising: Clemson football
The most surprising performance of the week for Clemson was the dominant display that the Tigers showed when facing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last Saturday. Entering the game, Clemson had not scored more than 40 points on any Power Five opponent that it has faced in the 2023 season. The Tigers made a statement against Georgia Tech, scoring 42 points to the Yellow Jackets’ 21.
The Tigers were led by a strong performance from sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik, who threw for 205 yards and four touchdown passes and rushed for 20 yards on six attempts. Junior running back Phil Mafah led the way on the ground with 96 rushing yards on 17 carries.
The victory for Clemson marked its sixth win of the season, making Dabo Swinney’s squad bowl-eligible. The highlight of the game was a one-handed touchdown catch by freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown, who had seven receptions for 41 yards during the game.
Most Disappointing: Women’s soccer falls in the ACC Championship
The Clemson women’s soccer team fell to the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC Championship in Cary, North Carolina, last Sunday, Nov. 5. The Tigers lost by a score of 2-1 in a hard-fought battle.
Florida State got on the board early in this game, as it scored in the seventh minute of the game. However, the Tigers responded with a goal of their own in the 29th minute from defender Mackenzie Duff to tie the game at 1-1. The Seminoles, who have now won four consecutive conference championships, were able to pull away with what proved to be a game-winning goal in the 57th minute.
The Tigers found themselves back up when they were announced as a No. 1 seed in the bottom left bracket of the NCAA Tournament, going on to beat Radford 2-0 on Friday. Next up, they will play Columbia at home on Historic Riggs Field this Friday.
