Jan. 13, 2000
Box Score
CLEMSON, S.C. — Freshman Chrissy Floyd scored 15 points to lead five Lady Tigers in double figures, as Clemson upset third-ranked NC State Thursday night at Littlejohn Coliseum, 71-56. It was the second straight win over a top 12 opponent for Jim Davis’s team. Clemson downed 12th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Monday evening, 60-59.
It was the first loss of the season for Kay Yow’s team from NC State. They were attempting to tie the school record for consecutive wins. NC State is now 14-1 overall, 5-1 in the ACC. Clemson never trailed in the game.
Clemson improved to 11-5 overall, 2-2 in the ACC. It was the highest ranked win for Clemson since the season opener of the 1996-97 season when Clemson upset second-ranked Georgia, 83-78. It was the 44th win over a Top 25 team for Jim Davis’s, the fifth time he has upset a top 15 NC State team in the last four years. It was Clemson’s fifth straight win over NC State, regardless of site and the fifth straight year Clemson has downed the Pack in Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Lady Tigers will take on their third straight top 12 team this Sunday when they travel to Duke for a 1:00 PM game that will be televised by ESPN-2.
Floyd scored 15 points on 7-14 shooting off the bench in her 30 minutes of play. Nuria Forns added 13 points and seven rebounds. Starting guards Angie Cossey and Krystal Scott scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, while starting center Joanie Mungro added 10 points and eight rebounds. Mungro, who is playing this season with a pace-maker to regulate a non-life threatening heart ailment, went head to head with ACC Player of the Year Summer Erb.
Erb scored 13 and had nine rebounds, but she got just five field goal attempts against Mungro and the Clemson defense in her 31 minutes of play. Kaayla Chones, daughter of former Marquette All-American and NBA first-round pick Jim Chones, had 11 points, but she was the only other Wolfpack player in double figures. Terah James added eight in a starting role, while Amy Simpson had the same number off the bench.
Clemson held NC State to 56 points, 17 under their average and six fewer than their previous low total this season. The Pack hit just 37.7 percent from the field and just 26 percent on three-point shots. They had a 6/18 assist/turnover ratio. Clemson won the battle of the boards 45-33 against the bigger Wolfpack team, and Clemson committed just 13 turnovers.
The Lady Tigers were also outstanding at the free throw line, hitting 21-28 compared to 11-20 for NC State. Clemson was especially proficient in the clutch, hitting 13-15 from the line inside the last five minutes of the game.
Clemson opened a 7-0 lead and were never headed. The Pack cut the lead to 7-5, but Clemson went on a 17-2 run to take a 24-7 lead with 5:10 left in the half. Clemson’s defense swarmed over Summer Erb to deflect lob passes. The senior had just three shots and four points the entire first half. NC State rallied the remainder of the half and cut the margin to nine at intermission behind the play of Amy Simpson and Ivy Gardner, who combined for eight points in the last 4:36 of the game.
NC State cut the lead to seven twice in the opening minutes of the second half behind Chones, the last time at 28-21. Clemson moved the lead back to double figures at 31-21 on a field goal by Erin Batth with 17:33 left. NC State cut the margin under nine just once the remainder of the contest.
A 15-6 run, highlighted by fastbreak buckets and assists from Floyd, and strong inside play by Batth and Mungro highlighted the action for Clemson in the middle of the second half. A layup by Floyd off an in-bounds play gave Clemson a 58-40 lead with just over three minutes left. NC State cut the lead to 58-48 with 1:35 left, but Clemson made 10 straight free throws down the stretch.
April 19, 2024
