Loading
Opens in a new window

Tigers Best Hokies in OT, Advance to ACC Quarterfinals

Tigers Best Hokies in OT, Advance to ACC QuarterfinalsTigers Best Hokies in OT, Advance to ACC Quarterfinals

GREENSBORO, N.C. — In a nail-biter to the very end, the Clemson Tigers (19-11) survived and advanced in the ACC Tournament on Thursday with an 80-79 overtime win over Virginia Tech (20-11). Senior Aliyah Collier played with veteran poise down the stretch, pouring in a career-high 28 points on the night.

Edwards-1

The Tigers shot 46 percent from the floor, including a solid 8-of-19 shooting mark from beyond the 3-point arc. Sophomore guard Destiny Thomas also put forth a milestone outing with 12 points and a career-high three treys. Floor general Danielle Edwards tabbed 13 points and eight assists, while shooting guard Simone Westbrook registered 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals for a well-rounded evening. Five different Tigers tallied double-figure outings.

Clemson forward Kobi Thornton eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career with 15 points on the night, joining Edwards as the second Tiger to accomplish that feat this season.

_

_

Thornton muscles her way to the basket and it's a TIE GAME! 71-all, 10.7 to go pic.twitter.com/xxzbS1tEfx — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) March 8, 2019 Opens in a new window
Thornton muscles her way to the basket and it's a TIE GAME! 71-all, 10.7 to go pic.twitter.com/xxzbS1tEfx — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) March 8, 2019 Opens in a new window
💦💦💦 Collier drains the three to tie the game! 74-all, 3:08 OT pic.twitter.com/azaLDrYLhY — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) March 8, 2019 Opens in a new window
💦💦💦 Collier drains the three to tie the game! 74-all, 3:08 OT pic.twitter.com/azaLDrYLhY — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) March 8, 2019 Opens in a new window

That was a tremendous win and Virginia Tech challenged us in really specific ways, especially in the first half,” said head coach Amanda Butler. “The seniors showed a tremendous resilient spirit and I am so happy for them.

Westbrook-4

The Tigers kicked off the game with an 8-2 run, but Virginia Tech clawed back into the game and boasted a 35-33 advantage at the start of the second half. Thomas led the Clemson charge coming out of halftime, producing  a 9-2 run with back-to-back threes and a converted 3-point play.

Manned by guard Taylor Emery, who led all player with 35 points, Virginia Tech fought back and erased its deficit. A back-and-forth final four minutes culminated in Thornton sinking a clutch jumper to knot the game up at 71-71 and force overtime. From there, Collier took over, scoring all nine of Clemson’s points in the extra period, including a pair of 3-pointers that highlighted an 8-0 run for the Tigers.

GAME SELECTS

Photos by Emily Algary

THE NEXT

After escaping with an 80-79 victory to improve to 2-0 in overtime games this year, seventh-seeded Clemson will turn its attention to a matchup with No. 3 Louisville Cardinals (27-2) in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and will air on RSN.

Get the latest news on all things Clemson women’s basketball by following us on Twitter (@ClemsonWBB), Facebook (/ClemsonTigersWBB) and Instagram (@ClemsonWBB).