Clemson Downs Georgia Tech, 72-63, In Women’s Basketball Action On Sunday

Jan. 8, 2006

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson first-year head coach Cristy McKinney earned her first ACC win as the Lady Tigers downed Georgia Tech, 72-63, on Sunday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum. All five Lady Tiger starters scored in double figures en route to the victory, as Clemson improved to 7-9 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Yellow Jackets fell to 11-3 overall with an 0-2 record against ACC opponents.

Maxienne White had a team-high 17 points for the Lady Tigers, while Tasha Phillips and Amanda Frist each contributed 13. Julie Talley scored 11 on the afternoon, and Tasha Taylor finished with 10 points.

Clemson held Georgia Tech to 33.3% shooting while converting 44.2% of its field goals. The Lady Tigers also blocked seven shots in the contest and forced 21 Yellow Jacket turnovers.

Georgia Tech won the battle on the boards, pulling down 47 rebounds compared to Clemson’s 34. Chioma Nnamaka led her team with 17 points, while Jacqua Williams added 13 in the losing effort.

The Lady Tigers started strong in the first half, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead that they would not relinquish. Clemson made four of its first five three-point shots to go up 19-4 just six minutes into the period. After Kentrina Wilson scored the Yellow Jackets’ sixth point, Phillips hit the Lady Tigers’ fifth three-pointer to give her team its largest lead of the half at 22-6 with 12:41 remaining.

Clemson was 6-8 from three-point range in the period, as Phillips and White each made two from long-range, and the Lady Tigers took a 12-point lead into halftime.

In the second half, Clemson extended its lead to as 23 points on a free throw by White at the 10:04 mark that put the home team ahead, 58-35. Georgia Tech continued to fight and came within nine points, 69-60, with just one minute remaining after a Stephanie Higgs lay-up. Phillips put the Lady Tigers back up by 10 with a free throw, and Taylor scored the team’s last two points from the foul line. A three-pointer by Janie Mitchell with less than 10 seconds left gave Georgia Tech its final points of the afternoon.

Clemson converted 17 of 24 free throws in the second half to secure a 72-63 victory and its first conference win of the season.

In the Lady Tigers’ next contest, Clemson will play host to the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, Jan. 12. Play will begin at 7:00 PM.