The Clemson women’s basketball team defeated Virginia on Sunday afternoon, winning 75-69 on the road at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Clemson graduates Dayshanette Harris and Amari Robinson led the way early for the Tigers, accounting for 21 of the team’s 22 total points in the first 14 minutes of action. Their efforts created an early gap that stretched to a lead of eight in the second quarter.
The game remained close into the middle of the second quarter before both teams traded runs; however, Clemson found itself up 32-27 heading into the locker room.
A Mackenzie Kramer 3-pointer with 1:57 left in the third quarter put the Tigers (11-12, 4-7 ACC) up 50-41, and it looked like they had taken control of the game. Virginia was not done yet, however, beginning the final quarter on an 11-0 run in less than three minutes of game time. This gave the Cavaliers a 55-54 lead, their first since the opening quarter.
The final six minutes featured five lead changes and enough excitement to send the crowd to its feet.
With under two minutes to go, Kramer came up big once again, hitting threes on back-to-back possessions to stretch the Tigers’ lead to seven, which held for the remainder of the game. Kramer finished with 13 points, including her three timely triples. She has now made 41 threes on the season, placing her at seventh in the ACC.
Harris, Clemson’s star point guard, dominated the course of the game, finishing with a team-high 23 points and 9 assists, as well as 8 rebounds.
Senior Sam Brunelle led the way for Virginia (10-12, 2-9 ACC), finishing with a season-high 24 points and six 3-pointers, as well as freshman Kymora Johnson, who also racked up 24 points.
In a team effort, the Tigers were able to dominate the boards during the game. Four players finished with six or more rebounds, compared to Virginia with just one. Rebounding had been Virginia’s most vital point over the season, recording the ninth most per game in the country, but were outrebounded by Clemson 41-30.
Heading into Sunday, the Tigers had won their previous two conference games, topping Wake Forest and Boston College, following a seven-game losing streak. They looked to keep their success going for a third consecutive victory while the Cavaliers were struggling in the ACC – despite their lone two conference wins coming over top-25 teams, then No. 15 Florida State and No. 24 North Carolina.
Clemson now enjoys a three-game winning streak and hopes to keep the momentum going as it heads further into conference play. The Tigers’ next game is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. when they will take on Miami on the road in the Watsco Center. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
