MIAMI, Fla. — The Sugar Bears wrap up non-conference play at the FIU Holiday Classic on Wednesday and Thursday, opening with Clemson at 1:00pm Central on Wednesday before meeting either FIU or North Dakota State on Thursday.

The Sugar Bears (5-4) are looking to bounce back after suffering back-to-back losses at No. 21 Texas A&M and South Alabama – falling 64-43 to the Jaguars on Saturday to begin their week-long road trip.

It will be the first meeting between the two programs and the Sugar Bears' fifth game against an ACC opponent.

The Tigers (9-2) have won five in a row, last losing to Buffalo on Nov. 24. Since then, Clemson has reeled off wins at Nebraska and Louisiana Tech with home victories over Charleston Southern, Prairie View A&M and Jacksonville State. Their only other loss of the season was a 66-36 defeat to defending national champion South Carolina on Nov. 16.

Points may be at a premium as the game will pit the nation's No. 2 and 4 scoring defenses against one another. The Tigers are holding opponents to only 49.7 points per contest, which ranks 2nd in the nation behind only Green Bay's 46.1, while Sugar Bears are 4th at 51.2. Clemson has held six opponents to fewer than 50 points, and the Sugar Bears have done so five times. The Tigers are holding their opponents to 31.4 percent shooting – which ranks 3rd in the nation – and just 22.9 percent from 3-point range, 7th-best in the country.

For as highly ranked as the Tigers defense is, the offense is at the other end of the spectrum. Clemson averages just 55.3 points per game, which ranks 326th. They are shooting just 35.8 percent shooting (308th), including 22.6 percent on 3-pointers (339th).

Clemson is led by Danielle Edwards, who averages 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and ranks 14th in the nation wth 36 steals – an average of 3.3 per game.

The Sugar Bears will be looking for their first victory against an ACC opponent, having lost their previous four meetings – the most recent being an 87-60 loss at Louisville in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Sugar Bears also have a pair of losses to Georgia Tech and a defeat at the hands of Miami back in 2007 in their last trip to south Florida.

Though the two programs have not met previously, Central Arkansas does have a bit of history with Clemson head coach Audra Smith, who was at the helm at UAB when the Lady Blazers defeated the Sugar Bears 58-54 in the first round of the 2011 WBI in the Farris Center en route to the tournament championship.

The Sugar Bears will also meet either host FIU or North Dakota State for the first time on Thursday, with the winners and losers of Wednesday's games meeting on the classic's final day. Though the matchups are still to be determined, the game times have been set for Thursday with the North Dakota State game at 11:00am Central and the FIU game to follow at approximately 1:00pm.


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