| GAME 18 | NOTRE DAME AT CLEMSON |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | THURSDAY, JAN. 19 | 7 PM E.T. |
| WHERE: | CLEMSON, SC | LITTLEJOHN COLISEUM |
| WATCH: | RSN | CLICK HERE |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| NOTES: | ND NOTES |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
CLEMSON, S.C. — For the third time in four games, No. 7 Notre Dame will take the court away from Purcell Pavilion. The Irish head to Clemson on Thursday to take on the Tigers (12-7, 3-4).
Like Notre Dame, the Tigers are coming off of a road win that required a second-half surge. On Sunday, Clemson ultimately topped Pittsburgh behind 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists from veteran Amari Robinson. Robinson is pacing Clemson in both points and rebounds this year, putting up 13.1 points and 6.6 boards each time she steps on the court. The senior put up 11 points per game last year.
The Tigers boast one of the best freshmen in the ACC in Ruby Whitehorn. The 6-0 guard out of Michigan was the No. 15 overall recruit in the 2022 class, and so far, she’s played to that standard. In 19 games this year, Whitehorn is averaging 11.6 points per game. She is one of just three rookies in the conference averaging more than 10 points per contest.
Both Olivia Miles and Maddy Westbeld continue to be hot for Notre Dame, and Lauren Ebo is a regular force on the boards. Amongst ACC bench players, Ebo leads the conference in total points (159), made field goals (58), rebounds (113) and made free throws (43). She’s most definitely a worthy candidate for the ACC’s Sixth Player of the Year Award.
On the whole, Notre Dame’s defense has carried the Irish to a 5-1 record in the conference, one which has five teams ranked in the AP Top 20. The Irish are holding teams to 54.3 points per game, which is second in the ACC. Opponents are shooting just 22.3 percent from deep, a mark that is pacing the conference.
“I always talk about defense winning championships and defense being the key, especially on nights that we don’t shoot well, like the North Carolina game” said Niele Ivey, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well, but you can always rely on your defense no matter what the circumstances are. That’s the way that I’ve tried to approach this as a coach, and they’ve really bought into it.”
Notre Dame-Clemson begins at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on regional sports networks. RSN affiliates for the ACC can be found here.