COLUMBIA, SC – The Clemson women’s basketball team fell to the University of South Carolina, 64-43, on Sunday in Colonial Life Arena. Quinyotta Pettaway had 12 points to lead the Lady Tigers, who fell to 0-3 on the season.
South Carolina (4-0) outscored Clemson 38-14 in the paint and held Clemson to .239 shooting in the contest. The Gamecocks won a third straight in the series and narrowed the all-time gap to 33-25 in favor of Clemson.
Clemson was never truly able to bounce back after the Gamecocks ran out to a 15-3 lead. South Carolina took advantage of Clemson’s foul trouble and controlled the paint. In the second half, they outrebounded the Tigers by 16 and went to the line 20 times, as three Tigers fouled out and two others finished with four fouls.
Pettaway hit all three shots that she attempted and all six of her free throws, and grabbed five rebounds. Nyilah Jamison-Myers was solid in her first true test, scoring six points (6-6 FT) and grabbing five rebounds, all on the offensive end.
Danaejah Grant had seven points and five rebounds in a team-high 35 minutes for the Tigers. Clemson blocked seven shots, led by Pettaway and Jonquel Jones, who had two apiece.
Nikki Dixon had four points and five steals before fouling out with 4:24 to play in the contest in only 18 minutes of playing time. In fact, of Clemson’s three players to foul out, none played more than 18 minutes.
Aisha Turner showed promise, scoring eight points and handing out two assists and three steals against just one turnover in 18 minutes.
Defensively, Clemson held South Carolina to an 0-14 mark behind the arc, and .396 overall in the game.
After Pettaway hit a jumper at the start of the second half to cut the deficit to eleven at 31-20, South Carolina went on a 10-0 run over the next three and a half minutes. The Tigers would repeatedly close the gap to fourteen, but could ultimately not get over that hump.
Sixth of South Carolina’s 64 points came in the paint or at the free throw line, as they hit just two jumpers outside the paint. A huge difference in the second half was the Gamecocks’ ability to control the glass, as they outrebounded the Tigers by 17 in the frame, after winning the battle by just one (19-18) in the first half.
Clemson will play next against Montana State in Dallas, TX as part of the Hoops for a Cure Classic on Friday, and then play either SIU-Edwardsville or SMU on Saturday.
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