Story byMitchell Northam, USA TODAYFri, January 9, 2026 at 11:47 PM UTC·6 min readWhen Rachael Rose stripped the ball away from Khamil Pierre and then connected on a fast break layup, it was easy to see the energy shift inside Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum with about two minutes left to play. The swipe-and-score gave Clemson a 10-point advantage against mighty North Carolina State, and the Tigers would hold that margin to defeat the Wolfpack 75-65 on Thursday night. It was the first time Clemson had beaten NC State in women’s basketball since 2011, snapping a 16-game losing streak in the series for the Tigers, and served as a statement win for coach Shawn Poppie in his second season at the helm. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I feel like we got a gritty group. Bunch of scrappy kids.