No. 25 Clemson Claws Tar Heels, 75-57

March 3, 2001

By DAVID DROSCHAK AP Sports Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Clemson is noted for its defense, rebounding and physical play under coach Jim Davis. North Carolina got a full dose of each Saturday.

Marci Glenney scored 18 points, including six straight late in the second half, as the 25th-ranked Tigers beat the Tar Heels 75-57 to advance to the semifinals of the ACC women’s tournament.

Clemson outscored the Tar Heels 40-18 in the paint and won the battle of the offensive boards 15-8. The Tigers did most of their damage with star center Erin Batth in foul trouble most of the night. She played just 16 minutes and matched her season-low with three points.

“I told her and I told the team that proves it’s a team game,” Davis said. “We were able to pick her up on a bad day. Tomorrow may be her day. At least we lived to see tomorrow.”

The second-seeded Tigers (20-8) won their fifth straight and moved within one win of their fifth Atlantic Coast Conference title game appearance in the last six years.

The victory also avenged a pair of one-point losses during the regular season to the seventh-seeded Tar Heels (15-14).

North Carolina knocked the Tigers out of the tourney with a two-point victory in the quarterfinals last year, but this time was a different story as Davis notched his 11th 20-win season in 14 years as Clemson’s coach.

“We felt like it was our turn,” Davis said. “I thought we just defended so very well in the first half.”

Krystal Scott added 17 points for the Tigers.

The Tar Heels, the top scoring team in the ACC, scored a season-high 100 points against Clemson on Feb. 8, but managed just their third-lowest total of the season Saturday.

ACC scoring leader LaQuanda Barksdale had a miserable first half, going 2-for-11. She finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for her 19th double-double of the season.

The Tigers led by 13 at the break and pushed the lead to 17 early in the second period. The Tar Heels never pulled closer than nine, the last time with 5:23 left.

Glenney scored on a layup, a pair of free throws and another layup to stem North Carolina’s final rally.

“I expect to see Clemson on Monday night,” said North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, predicting the Tigers would be playing for the title.

Clemson missed 10 of its first 12 shots, but went on a 23-9 run over the middle portion of the first half to take control of the game as the Tar Heels struggled to mount an offensive attack.

“We showed very early in the game that we were a little uptight, we were a little nervous,” Davis said. “Fortunately, we worked our way through it.”

During one two-minute stretch late in the half, North Carolina turned it over on four straight possessions to fall behind 31-19 and eventually by 13 at the break.

“At the beginning we were forcing some shots that weren’t good shots. We should have taken advantage that they didn’t get off to a good offensive start,” Hatchell said. “Normally, we put up some points pretty quick at the beginning, but you’re got to credit their defense.”