HALFTIME: WF 34, Clemson 28

Former three-year letterwinner Kelly Gramlich gives her take on the first half of play. 

Kelly’s 3- Point Stance

1. Clemson did an excellent job of pressuring Wake Forest defensively, especially on the perimeter. The Tigers forced the Demon Deacons into 14 turnovers in the first half of action.
2. The Tigers took full advantage of the charity stripe in the first half, knocking down nine out of ten free throw attempts.
3. Senior Nikki Dixon tallied 14 points in the first half of action against the Demon Deacons. Dixon is averaging 14.3 ppg against Wake Forest in her career and is on her way to exceeding her average in the second half.

Fun Fact of the First Half: Clemson senior Nikki Dixon and Wake Forest senior Dearica Hamby were AAU teammates in high school, both playing for the Georgia Pistols.

Keys to Victory:

1. The Tigers outrebounded the Demon Deacons in the first half 16-15. Clemson need to continue to effectively crash the boards in the second half and try to win the rebounding margin for the first time since December 19th against Longwood.
2. Clemson needs to find a way to score more points in the paint in the second half. The Demon Deacons outscored the Tigers in the paint in the first half 20-10.
3. Finally, the Tigers need to get more substantial production from their bench in the second half. The Clemson bench only scored two points in the first half.