Toronto’s Toby Fournier leads Duke to win over Clemson

DURHAM, N.C. — Toronto’s Toby Fournier scored 20 points off the bench and No. 10 Duke pulled away for a 74-55 victory over Clemson on Thursday night.

Fournier, a contender for Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year, shot 9 of 12 from the floor and also had four rebounds.

It was the sixth time this season the freshman has scored at least 20 points, and Duke (18-5, 9-2) is now 6-0 in those games.

Maddi Cluse scored 19 points ande Anya Poole had 11 for the Tigers (11-12, 4-8), who lost their third consecutive game and have lost seven of their last eight.

Ashlon Jackson added 15 points and four assists for the Blue Devils while Oluchi Okananwa chipped in 14 points and three steals.

Takeaways

Duke: After losing at No. 14 N.C. State on Monday, the Blue Devils bounced back with a decisive victory behind a defense that ranks sixth nationally in defensive rating.

Clemson: The Tigers aren’t yet capable of consistently competing with the ACC’s upper class in Shawn Poppie’s first season as head coach. Clemson is now 1-7 this season against ranked opponents, and 2-9 in Quad 1 and 2 games.

Key moment

The Tigers had a two-point advantage midway through the second quarter, but Duke responded with a 23-5 run that bled into the third frame and gave the Blue Devils a double-digit advantage. Reigan Richardson scored eight points over that span of about nine minutes.

Key stat

Duke forced Clemson into a season-high 27 turnovers and turned them into 35 points. The Blue Devils have caused double-digit turnovers against every opponent they’ve played this season and force an ACC-best 20.5 per game.

Up Next

On Sunday, Duke hosts Miami and No. 13 North Carolina visits Clemson.