Clemson Earns First Victory Of Season With 97-88 Win Over Memphis Saturday

Nov. 26, 2005

MEMPHIS, TN – The Clemson women’s basketball team picked up its first win of the season, defeating Memphis, 97-88, at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, TN on Saturday evening. Tasha Phillips came off the bench for Head Coach Cristy McKinney to post a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds. The Lady Tigers of Clemson shot 55.7% from the field and were 50% from the three-point line as well to better their record to 1-5 on the year. The Memphis Lady Tigers remained winless at 0-4.

“Tasha Phillips was key for us tonight,” McKinney said. “It wasn’t just her numbers, but that she played hard and with intensity. Hopefully this win will boost the team’s confidence.”

Along with Phillips, five other Clemson players scored in double figures. Julie Talley went 5-6 from behind the three-point line and recorded 18 points in the contest. Tasha Taylor handed out 12 assists and Khaili Sanders blocked five shots in the Clemson effort.

Tamika Butler and Paris Leonard combined for 55 of the Lady Tigers’ 88 points as both knocked down six three-point shots against Clemson. Ashley Howard led the team on the boards with nine rebounds.

Nine Clemson players made it into the scoring column in the first half of play with freshman Susan Yenser leading the charge with 10 points in the period. The Clemson Lady Tigers shot 57.1% from the field while holding the Memphis Lady Tigers to just 35.3% shooting. Clemson made the first basket of the game on a field goal by point guard Taylor, but the score remained tight in the beginning of the period. Memphis’ Leonard got a hot hand as she scored 11 points in just under two minutes. Her third three-pointer during the stretch put her team up 23-22 at the 10:37 mark.

Memphis held a 26-21 advantage before Clemson went on a run of its own, scoring 13 unanswered points in just over five minutes of play. Yenser had two field goals and a free throw in the stretch for Clemson. Leonard’s fourth three-point field goal ended the drought for Memphis and she scored the last two points of the half for Memphis from the free throw line. Leonard had 17 points in the period. The Lady Tigers from the State of South Carolina utilized the fast break to take a 41-30 lead in the first half and a 13-point advantage into halftime.

The Lady Tigers of Clemson carried their momentum into the second period and outscored Memphis 24-10 in the first seven minutes of the half. Talley knocked down three three-pointers and a field goal while Tasha Phillips and Khaili Sanders each made two field goals for the Clemson squad. However, after Phillips put Clemson up 80-60, the team was held scoreless for almost three minutes while Memphis went on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to eight points. Phillips ended the drought with a field goal and then put Clemson back up by 13 with a three with 4:09 left in the game. Clemson survived the scare and went on to claim its first victory by a score of 97-88.

Clemson will travel to nearby Greenville, SC on Wednesday, Nov. 30 for a 7:00 match with the Paladins of Furman University. The Lady Tigers will return to Littlejohn Coliseum on December 3 as they will play host to UCLA.