N.C. State Defeats Clemson 65-52 In ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

March 2, 2002

GREENSBORO, NC – Amy Simpson scored 16 points and Kaayla Chones added 11 in leading sixth-seeded N.C. State to a 61-52 win over third-seeded Clemson in the quarterfinal round of the 25th Annual ACC Tournament. Chrissy Floyd scored a career-high 30 points for Clemson.

Floyd scored 30 of Clemson’s first 40 points. She also broke the school record for the largest pct. of Clemson’s team points with a 57.6 mark as she scored 30 of Clemson’s 52 points. Former Lady Tiger Barbara Kennedy scored 57.3 (43 points) of Clemson’s 75 points in a game vs. Penn State on March 12, 1982.

Chones led all rebounders with 10 rebounds. Floyd finished the night 11-23 from the field and 4-8 from the three-point line. She also was 4-6 from the free throw line. Floyd also had four rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal. Clemson’s Maggie Slosser also was in double figure with 12 points. N.C. State also won the battle of the boards 37-32. Leah Roper had seven rebounds to lead the Lady Tigers.

N.C. State improves its record to 14-14 overall, while Clemson falls to 17-11 this season. The Lady Tigers defeated N.C. State twice during the regular season, including the Lady Tigers’ 63-52 win over the Wolfpack in Raleigh last Monday night.

In the first half, N.C. State jumped to a 20-12 lead with 7:02 left to go in the first half. Clemson went on a 11-2 run and took a 23-22 lead with 2:53 left on the clock. Floyd scored six points in this run. However, N.C. State scored the next seven points to take a 29-23 lead at the half. Floyd scored 18 of Clemson’s 23 points in the first half. Floyd scored Clemson’s first 15 points of the game before Maggie Slosser hit a field goal from underneath.

N.C. State shot 13-32 from the field in the first half for a .406 pct., and Clemson shot 9-26 from the floor for a .346 mark.

In the second half, N.C. State hit two three-pointers, one by Rachel Stockdale and one by Simpson to take a 35-23 advantage with 18:27 left in the game. N.C. State had a 40-25 lead with 17:20 remaining as Simpson hit a jumper.

N.C. State had a 45-32 lead with 13:18 remaining as Stockdale hit a three-point shot. Clemson went on a 13-6 run and narrowed the lead to 51-45 with 4:18 left. Slosser had eight points in this rally. Clemson eventually came within three of N.C. State’s lead (55-52) with :45 seconds remaining as Slosser hit a jump shot on the inside. However Simpson hit four free throws and Nana Rivers hit two to give the Wolfpack the 61-52 lead. N.C. State scored its last field goal of the game at the as Carisse Moody hit a jumper on the inside with 7:49 left on the clock.

N.C. State was 7-14 from the field in the second half for a .500 mark. For the game the Wolfpack shot 20-46 from the floor for a .435 mark.

Clemson shot 10-34 from the field for a .294 pct. For the game, the Lady Tigers shot 19-60 from the floor for a .317 figure.

“I want to congratulate N.C. State for their performance,” said Clemson Head Coach Jim Davis. “They were much better prepared than the Clemosn basketball team mentally, physically, and technically. I thought we had a tough assignment playing them twice in six days, especially after beating them on their home court. They just learned their lessons better than we learned our lessons. I’m terribly disappointed with the outcome, but N.C. State earned the victory.”