Lady Tigers Basketball To Open 2005-06 Season At WBCA/BTI Classic

Nov. 10, 2005

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s basketball team will kick off the 2005-06 season this weekend at the fourth annual WBCA/BTI Classic in Tempe, AZ. The Lady Tigers will face the Missouri Tigers in the event’s opening game on Friday, Nov. 11 at 8:00 PM, EST. The team will then play either Vanderbilt, ranked 17th in the AP preseason poll, or host and preseason #20 (AP) Arizona State on Saturday.

Clemson returns four starters from last year’s squad, including three-year starter Amanda Frist. Frist, who was married over the summer, averaged 7.7 points per game last season to go along with a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game mark. Returning at the point guard position is sophomore Tasha Taylor, who started the final 11 games in 2004-05 and tallied 83 assists on the year. Seniors Lauren Allen, Khaili Sanders, Julie Talley and Tasha Phillips also return for the 2005-06 campaign, along with sophomore D’Lesha Lloyd. Lloyd is the Lady Tigers’ leading returning scorer as she averaged 8.6 points per game last season.

Clemson has played only two previous games against the three teams that make up the 2005 WBCA/BTI Classic field. The Lady Tigers of Clemson and Tigers of Missouri will meet for just the second time in history on Friday, Nov. 11. Clemson claimed a 68-52 decision at the Wayland Baptist Classic in Plainview, TX during the 1981-82 season. If the Lady Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores meet in Saturday’s competition, it will mark just the second game between the two teams in history. The Commodores came out on the winning end in the first meeting, winning by a score of 72-60 at the Vanderbilt Tournament during the 1991-92 season. A meeting between Clemson and Arizona State would be the first in history.