Clemson Falls to Tech Women in Atlanta, 53-48

Jan. 26, 2005

ATLANTA – Clemson held a seven-point lead at halftime, but scored just 19 second-half points en route to a 53-48 win for the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets improved to 13-5 (3-3 ACC) with the win, while Clemson dropped to 7-11 overall (1-5 ACC).

For the first time all season, Clemson failed to have any player reach double figures in scoring. Carrie Whitehurst led the way with nine points, while Moreemi Davis chipped in eight. D’Lesha Lloyd, Julie Talley, and Reggie Maddox each had seven. The Lady Tigers’ 19 second-half point total was their lowest output of the season for any half.

Chioma Nnamaka led three Tech players in double figures with 16 points. Stephanie Higgs and Jessica Williams combined to score 21 for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech attempted 27 free throws, compared to just three for Clemson.

Clemson enjoyed a 29-22 lead at halftime, mostly thanks to some timely shooting from Whitehurst. The sophomore small forward knocked down three deep balls in the half and surpassed her season-high with nine points in the opening period. It marked the first time all season Whitehurst had multiple three-point baskets in the same game. The Lady Tigers also got a boost from Davis, who set a career-high with three baskets in the opening half. In all, seven different Lady Tigers scored a field goal in the first half.

The lead exchanged hands four times in the first half. Clemson’s bench outscored the Yellow Jackets 21-4 in the half. The Lady Tigers shot 52 percent in the half, its best output of the season for an opening half. However, 11 turnovers limited Clemson’s attempt total to just 23.

In the second, Clemson duplicated its turnover total and finished the game with 22 giveaways. The Lady Tigers shot just 28.6 percent for the half, while Tech was 10-22 from the field.

The Yellow Jackets opened on a 10-2 run that didn’t end until Lloyd knocked down a three-pointer with 12:41 remaining. Clemson didn’t score again until the 6:36 mark on a layup inside by Talley. The Yellow Jackets spread the lead to as much as nine, but poor free throw shooting down the stretch kept the Lady Tigers in the game. Clemson had a chance to potentially tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but Jill Ingram rebounded her own miss on a free throw to end the threat.

The Lady Tigers return to Littlejohn Coliseum to host new ACC foe Miami on Monday, January 31. The game, which will be televised by Comcast Sports Southeast, is set to tip-off at 7:00 PM.