Clemson Defeated By Boston College, 69-64, In Sunday Women’s Basketball Action

Jan. 22, 2007

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – Clemson junior Tasha Taylor led her team back from a 17-point halftime deficit as the Lady Tigers were tied with Boston College with two minutes remaining in the game. However, the effort fell short as the Eagles went on to win, 69-64, on Sunday afternoon at the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, MA.

“In the first half, we were not intense and were outplayed,” Clemson Head Coach Cristy McKinney said afterwards. “We were a different team in the second half. We played harder and more aggressively, but we had dug ourselves into such a deep hole that it wasn’t enough.”

Taylor and Lele Hardy tied for high-scorer honors for the Lady Tigers, while D’Lesha Lloyd and Susan Yenser added 10 points apiece.

Boston College’s Ayla Brown led all scorers with 18 points after a flawless, 10-for-10, afternoon from the free throw line. All five Eagle starters posted double figures in their win.

With leading scorer Lloyd on the bench in foul trouble for all but seven minutes of the first half, the Clemson offense scored just 23 points in the opening period. Hardy put up 10 points to lead the Lady Tigers at the break.

Boston College scored first and held the lead until Yenser knotted the score at 15-15 with a three-point basket at the 12:19 mark. The teams were then tied again at 19 apiece before the Eagles dominated the remaining of the half. They outscored Clemson by a 21-4 margin in the final 9:37 to hold a 40-23 advantage at the half.

The Lady Tigers then came out strong in the second half as Taylor caught fire, hitting her first five attempts and finishing with 13 in the period to guide the Clemson comeback. Yenser hit a deep field goal from just inside the arc at the 15:33 mark to cut the Eagles’ lead to single digits at 44-36 for the first time since the 6:20 point in the first half. The Lady Tigers were then within two as Taylor drained a three-pointer from the top of the key as the shot clock expired with 7:54 remaining.

Clemson then tied the score at 58-58 at the 6:02 mark after a Christy Brown put-back capitalized on a Boston College turnover. The teams were then even again at 60 and for a third time at 64 with 2:09 remaining, but the Eagles hit a three and converted two free throws in the final minutes to post the five-point victory.

The Lady Tigers will return to Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 25 as they will play host to third-ranked Maryland at 7:00 pm.