TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In their second consecutive road test against an SEC opponent, the Clemson Tigers (2-2) were held in check by the Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1) on Monday. Despite solid offensive outings by post players Tylar Bennett and Kobi Thornton, the Tigers fell 76-56 in Coleman Coliseum.
Bennett posted a breakout offensive performance for the Tigers, tallying a career-high 15 points to go along with her four rebounds. Thornton tallied 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting, while Westbrook collected nine points as part of a 4-for-4 showing at the charity stripe.
Clemson showed plenty of promise on the glass, outrebounding Alabama 46-37 in the contest and compiling 14 second-chance points. Thornton and Clemson guard Aliyah Collier were especially effective in the rebounding department, leading all competitors with eight and 10 rebounds, respectively.
The Tigers were hot out of the gate, going on an 8-0 run early on to take a 10-4 lead at the 7:04 mark in the opening quarter. However, Alabama got on a roll soon afterward, taking a 17-12 lead into the second quarter.
Clemson fought back to start the second frame, with guard Simone Westbrook sinking a three-pointer and hitting a pair of free throws to put Clemson up 19-18. The Crimson Tide remained resilient from the field, outscoring Clemson 23-7 throughout the remainder of the second quarter to go up 41-26 heading into the intermission.
The second half featured more buckets for the Crimson Tide, as Alabama outscored Clemson 24-14 in the third quarter to garner a comfortable advantage. Going on to win 76-56 on its home floor, Alabama shot 49 percent on the evening.
For Alabama, guard Cierra Johnson was the leading scorer in the matchup, totaling 24 points on 8-11 shooting.
Next up for the Tigers is a trip to the Bahamas, as they are set to take part in the Junkanoo Jam. Clemson will kick off the tournament on Thursday, taking on the Tennessee Volunteers at Gateway Christian Academy in Bimini, Bahamas. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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