Lady Tigers Fall To Wake Forest, 82-70, In Sunday Women’s Basketball Action

Feb. 12, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Clemson women’s basketball team was unable to overcome a record-setting three-point shooting afternoon by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and suffered its sixth straight loss by an 82-70 margin at the Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC.

Freshman Susan Yenser posted a team-best 16 points for the now 8-16 (2-8 ACC) Lady Tigers, draining 4-5 three-point field goals in the effort. Maxienne White, Tasha Taylor and Tasha Taylor each netting four.

The Demon Deacons hit 16 three-point field goals on Sunday afternoon, the most a Clemson team has given up in history. Cotelia Bond-Young and Deirdre Naughton each drained five, while Liz Strunk made four. Strunk led all scorers with 23 points and also collected a team-best 10 rebounds.

Wake Forest opened the game on a 7-0 run in the first 4:21. Clemson’s first points came at the 15:39 mark on a jumper by D’Lesha Lloyd. The Lady Tigers were down by as many as 12 points in the half, as Bond-Young hit a three at the 7:03 mark to give the Demon Deacons a 31-19 advantage.

White scored seven straight points in just under two minutes to help the Lady Tigers slowly close in on Wake Forset. Clemson narrowed the gap to six points at 32-26 after a Lloyd lay-up at the 1:34 mark, and then Carrie Whitehurst knocked down a long three to put the Lady Tigers within three points with just over one minute remaining in the period.

The Demon Deacon’s Deirdre Naughton responded with a three-pointer of her own with 46 seconds left in the half to give the Deacs a 35-29 lead at the break.

The Lady Tigers scored the first four points of the second half on field goals by Taylor and Amanda Frist to cut Wake Forest’s lead to three. However, the Demon Deacons hit three quick three-pointers to increase the margin to 45-37 at the first media timeout.

Wake Forest then knocked down its 11th and 12th three-point field goals to go up by 13 at 52-39 just over seven minutes into the period. After trailing 61-47 at the 9:00 minute mark, Clemson outscored the Deacs 14-7 in the next six minutes to narrow the gap to seven points. Yenser hit two threes during the stretch for the Lady Tigers to put her in double figures.

Naughton completed a four-point play with 2:08 remaining in the game that put Wake Forest ahead 72-61 and ended an almost four-minute scoring draught and solidified the game for the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest then converted 10 straight free throws down the stretch to claim the 82-70 victory.

The Lady Tigers will return to Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 16 when they will play host to NC State. Clemson and the Wolfpack will take to the court at 7:00 PM.