Clemson Downs Miami (OH) In Women’s Hoops, 72-55

Dec. 8, 2001

Clemson, SC – Lakeia Stokes scored a career high 20 points and added a career high nine rebounds leading Clemson to a 72-55 women’s basketball victory over Miami (OH) on Saturday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum. Both teams are now 4-3 with this result. Clemson will now break for exams and then play host to Winthrop next Saturday evening.

Stokes hit 6-11 shots from the field and 7-8 free throws in registering her Clemson high in just 21 minutes. The sophomore added four steals and hit just her third three-point goal of the season. She entered the game averaging just five points and three rebounds a game. Chrissy Floyd, who joined Clemson’s 1000-point club last Wednesday in Clemson’s game at Maryland, added 16 points.

Center Maggie Slosser, another sophomore, had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. She made 6-10 shots from the field and had five offensive rebounds in her 27 minutes of play. Julie Aderhold added nine points and seven rebounds for the Lady Tigers. Krystal Scott scored nine points in 24 minutes, but limped off the court at the end of the game with a sprained ankle. The injury is not believed to be serious. Her backup point guard, Kanetra Queen, did not score, but had six assists in 20 minutes.

Miami (OH) was led by Colleen Day, who scored 17 points and added nine rebounds. Heather Cusick added 16 points, four assists and four steals from her guard position. Day and Cusick both made three three-point goals. Both teams failed to shoot 40 percent from the field and Clemson won the rebound effort 45-42. Clemson forced seven more turnovers than it committed (21-14).

Clemson jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game as Slosser was active on the inside, scoring six of the 10 points. But, Miami(OH) came back with a 16-6 run behind Day and Cusick. They both scored five points in the run. Day’s three-point goal from the top of the key gave Miami (OH) a 19-16 lead at the 8:54 lead. Another Cusick three-point goal expanded the margin to five points at 25-20 at the six-minute mark. But, Clemson went on a 7-2 run to close the half and the game was tied at 27 at intermission.

The first two minutes of the second half proved to be the key juncture of the game. The Lady Tigers went on an 11-0 run to open the half. Chrissy Floyd layup off a fast-break gave Clemson a 38-27 lead at the 17:53 mark. Stokes had a basket and an assist during the run.

Clemson expanded the margin to 50-34 at the 13:49 mark of the game on a three-point goal by Julie Aderhold. Clemson scored 27 points in the first half, then scored 23 in the first 6:11 of the second half. Clemson expanded the margin to 51-34, but the contest was not over.

Miami (OH) showed it would not quit. They went on a 11-1 run and cut the margin to 52-45 on a layup by Kim Lancaster at the 8:14 mark. But, seven points was as close as Miami (OH) could get. Clemson went on a 16-4 run behind Stokes late in the game that put the contest in Clemson’s win column. Her jumper from in front of the hoop at the 2:30 mark gave Clemson a 66-49 lead. Clemson’s largest lead of the game was 70-51 at the 1:32 mark.