What It'll Take for Clemson to Pick Up the Win Against North Alabama

These keys to victory will help lead the Clemson Tigers to another win early in the season

This is what it'll take for the Clemson Tigers to pick up the win | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following Saturday afternoon’s five-point loss, the Clemson Tigers are back inside Littlejohn Coliseum on Monday at 9 p.m. to take on the North Alabama Lions.

The Tigers tasted defeat for the first time this season against Georgetown on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 79-74 decision in Washington, D.C. at Capital One Arena. Brad Brownell’s team suffered its second straight road opener loss.

Clemson (3-1) will look to right the ship against North Alabama (2-2), in the first meeting between the schools. The Lions are led by eighth-year head coach Tony Pujol, who won his 100th game with the program a season ago. Under Pujol’s tutelage, UNA has earned berths in the CBI and NIT, and finished in a tie for the regular-season title in the Atlantic Sun Conference last season.

North Alabama is a team that is no stranger to taking on Power Four conference opponents. The Lions traveled to Starkville, Mississippi, to battle with Mississippi State in their season opener on Nov. 5.

In that matchup, UNA came up short, 86-62, but the game was much more competitive than that. Mississippi State led 38-37 at halftime, before using a 44-11 run over the last 16 minutes of play to pull away. The Lions were led in scoring by junior guard Canin Jefferson, who knocked down four three-pointers and scored 16 points.

After not seeing the starting lineup for the first two seasons of his college career, the New Orleans native has started all four of the Lions’ games this season. His 13.3-point scoring average is fourth on the team, behind fellow starters Corneilous Williams (16.2), Kevin de Kovachich (14.5), and Donte Bacchus (13.8).

Williams, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Beaumont, Mississippi, also leads North Alabama in rebounding with 13.3 per game. That mark ties him for fourth nationally. After playing just 12 minutes per game at Western Carolina as a true freshman, Williams transferred to UNA and has started all 39 games he’s played in since. After averaging a strong 9.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season, he’s upped his game to start 2025-26.

Clemson’s Keys To Victory

Win the Rebounding Battle

Against Georgetown, the Tigers won the battle on the boards 36-35. However, in their last home game against Morehead State, Clemson struggled mightily to prevent offensive rebounds from the Eagles. Facing a tenacious rebounder like Corneilous Williams, Clemson will need to hold UNA to one shot to secure a win.

Utilize Zac Foster

Despite the loss to the Hoyas, Foster’s playmaking and defensive abilities were on display. In one particular sequence, Foster stole an entry pass inside the paint, then found big man Nick Davidson with a nifty pocket pass in a pick-and-roll. The true freshman’s role should continue to grow, especially against weaker opposition in non-conference play.