Jan. 20, 2011
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CLEMSON, SC – After Clemson knotted the game at 51-51 with 13:35 to play in the game, No. 16/22 Florida State went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes and held on late for an 83-73 win in Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday night. Clemson fell to 8-12 overall and 1-4 in ACC play, while Florida State improved to 15-4, 3-1 ACC.
Clemson’s bench was unquestionably the key cog on the evening, as freshmen Kelia Shelton provided a huge spark to keep the Tigers in it, while Shaniqua Pauldo registered her second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 boards.
“I was really happy with the way that we competed again tonight,” said Itoro Coleman, who fell just short of her first career win against a ranked opponent. “The difference in the game to me is that Florida State was able to get to the free throw line more, and they did a better job of rebounding the basketball.”
Dunn had a career effort all around, registering 18 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in a career-high 35 minutes off the bench. Shelton had 11 points and four assists on 5-10 shooting, the second-best output of her career.
“Chancie did a great job showing poise and taking care of the ball,” said Coleman. “Our bench did a great job keeping us in the game, and got us some big buckets when we needed them.”
The difference of the game was at the free throw line, where Florida State made 22-34, while Clemson was able to hit 5-6 in the game. In the second half, Florida State’s free throws kept the distance, as they were 15-23, while Clemson did not register an attempt from the charity stripe.
The Seminoles were very difficult on the glass as well, pulling down 26 offensive rebounds, and turning them into 21 second chance points. Clemson outscored the Noles, 34-30 in the paint, and the Tigers continued their solid shooting from deep, going 6-16. Florida, who entered the contest leading the ACC by .002 over Clemson, shot 7-22, but made them when they needed them most, going 4-9 in the second half.
Seminole Courtney Ward had 21 points, including five threes, as she entered as the ACC’s leader in 3-point percentage. Alexa Daluzio (17), Natasha Howard (16), and Cierra Bravard (12 pts, 11 reb), all hit double-fires for Florida State.
Clemson played an extremely strong second half, turning the ball over just three times, while shooting 46.3% from the field.
The 50 points for the bench was the most for Clemson since they combined for 62 last season against Charleston Southern. Pauldo, Dunn, and Shelton combined to shoot 21-38 in the game, while the starters were 10-32. Sthefany Thomas had 10 points for the Tigers as well, including two key threes.
Pauldo was 9-14 overall from the field in her second 20-10 effort of the season, the last coming the first game of the season, when she had 26 points and 15 rebounds.
Clemson will return to action on Sunday as they travel to Wake Forest for a 2:00 pm Sunday showdown in Winston-Salem. The Lady Tigers will then play at top-five Duke on Tuesday.
April 17, 2024
