Clemson Hosts Pittsburgh Thursday at 7 PM

Game Information vs. Pittsburgh:
Who: Pittsburgh Panthers (9-13, 1-8 ACC) at Clemson Tigers (11-11, 1-8 ACC)
When: Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, S.C.
Watch: ACC Network Extra (Fred Cunningham & Jim Davis)
Listen: Clemson Tigers Network/ClemsonTigers.com (William Qualkinbush & Kelly Gramlich)
Live Stats: ClemsonTigers.com
Follow: Twitter & Instagram: @ClemsonWBB 

Clemson Team Notes:

– The Tigers (11-11, 1-8 ACC) are coming off of a 62-41 loss to NC State, receiving votes in this week’s AP poll, on Jan. 28 at Littlejohn Coliseum. Sophomore Kobi Thornton and junior Danielle Edwards were in double figures in scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Thornton also posted eight rebounds, while Edwards added five rebounds, four steals and two assists.

– As a team, the Tigers rank second in the ACC and 18th nationally in blocked shots (119) and second in the league and 21st nationally in blocked shots per game (5.4).

– Clemson ranks second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to 28.9% from behind the arc. The Tigers are sixth in the league in scoring defense (59.1) and field goal percentage defense (36.9%).

– Clemson finished nonconference play with a 10-3 record in 2017-18. In the past two seasons, the Tigers have a 21-5 (.808) record in nonconference play (11-2 in 2016-17 and 10-3 in 2017-18). It is the best two-year nonconference record for the program since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, when Clemson was 23-4 (.852) in two seasons.

Clemson Player Notes:

– Thornton leads the Tigers in scoring overall and in ACC play. The 2017 ACC All-Freshman Team selection is averaging 10.2 points per game on the season, and 12.6 points per game through the Tigers’ first nine ACC games.

– Thornton has scored in double figures in five-straight games, and in six of the Tigers’ nine ACC games. She picked up her first two double-doubles of the season against Boston College on Jan. 18 (16 points, 10 rebounds) and at No. 5/2 Notre Dame on Jan. 21 (16 points, 10 rebounds).

– Thornton also leads the team in rebounding on the season (7.0 per game) and in ACC play (6.6 per game).

– Junior Danielle Edwards ranks second in scoring for the Tigers, averaging 9.9 points per game. She also leads the team in steals (59, 2.7 per game) and assists (52, 2.4 per game.)

– Edwards’ 59 steals rank third among ACC players and 24th among all players nationally. On Nov. 13, 2017, Edwards posted nine steals in the Tigers’ 56-48 win over South Carolina State, tying the Clemson record for steals in a single game. Four different players have recorded nine steals in a game previously for the Tigers, however, it had not been done in 30 years, when Ramona O’Neil picked up nine steals against Virginia on Feb. 14, 1987.

– The Tigers have two players in the top six in the ACC in blocked shots. Freshman Tylar Bennett ranks fifth with 39 blocked shots and a 1.8 per game average, while Thornton ranks sixth with 36 blocked shots and 1.6 blocked shots per game.

Series Information:

– Clemson has a 6-5 all-time record against Pittsburgh in women’s basketball.

– Last season, the Tigers defeated the Panthers, 54-46, on the road in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Feb. 9, 2017. Nelly Perry, who is currently redshirting the 2017-18 season, scored 16 points and added six rebounds, while Aliyah Collier pulled down an impressive 14 rebounds and added eight points and three steals.