Clemson Falls To South Carolina, 64-43, In Saturday Women’s Basketball Action

Dec. 22, 2007

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson rookie Kirstyn Wright hit four three pointers for 14 points off the bench, but the Lady Tigers suffered a 64-43 loss to in-state rival South Carolina at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

“We just had a hard time making shots today,” said Clemson Head Coach Cristy McKinney. “South Carolina was able to block a lot of shots, and we had some good looks that just didn’t fall.”

Wright was the only Clemson player in double figures in the game and also tallied three steals against the Gamecocks. Sophomore Lele Hardy and Whitney Hood pulled down five boards apiece.

“Kirstyn is a very talented player and did really well coming off the bench in the first half,” McKinney added. “We are looking for a go-to player right now with Tasha (Taylor) injured. Kirstyn was able to step up and make some shots today.”

Clemson fell to 7-7 on the year while the Gamecocks improved to 9-3 overall.

Four Gamecock players scored in double figures, led by Jordan Jones with a game-high 16 points.

The Lady Tigers had a slow start for the second straight game and found themselves down, 11-0, in the first 7:09 of the game. South Carolina capitalized on the poor Clemson shooting for a 36-17 advantage at halftime.

The second period was a closer ballgame, but the Lady Tigers were unable to overcome the first half deficit. With the Gamecocks ahead, 49-24, Clemson put together a 6-0 run to cut the margin back to 19. However, South Carolina responded and the lead grew back to as many as 27 late in the game.

The Gamecocks shot 48.1-percent (25-52) from the field while Clemson was just 16-for-69 (.232).

The Lady Tigers will return to action on Jan. 2 following the holiday break. They will travel to Concord, NC to take on the Charlotte 49ers in their final non-conference game of the season.