RALEIGH, N.C. – In a hard-fought battle to the end, the Clemson Tigers (14-6, 5-2) came up short to No. 8 North Carolina State (19-0, 6-0) at Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday.
Putting forth a solid defensive showing, the Tigers limited the high-scoring Wolfpack offense to just 54 points on 38.3 percent shooting, including a 3-of-22 output from beyond the arc. Forcing 21 turnovers, Clemson nearly pulled off the comeback, thanks in large part to several key steals in the fourth quarter.
Guard Simone Westbrook put on a veteran performance, tallying 18 points and four rebounds to go along with her five steals. Continuing to produce off the bench for the Tigers, senior Aliyah Collier notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and a season-high 13 boards.
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12 rebounds, 13 points for Collier…first double-double of the season 👊 pic.twitter.com/8RanKlmwgr— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) January 25, 2019
12 rebounds, 13 points for Collier…first double-double of the season 👊 pic.twitter.com/8RanKlmwgr
— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) January 25, 2019
STEAL. SCORE. LEAD!!!!!!!Westbrook puts the Tigers ahead 51-50! pic.twitter.com/vbm4PvDh1r— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) January 25, 2019
STEAL. SCORE. LEAD!!!!!!!
Westbrook puts the Tigers ahead 51-50! pic.twitter.com/vbm4PvDh1r
“We’re trying to get better every day and to bring our best," said Coach Butler. "We saw some moments of our best today but we have to give NC State a lot of credit, they really established themselves in the paint and beat us on the boards.”
Following an evenly matched first half that saw the Wolfpack up, 30-25, at halftime, NC State gradually stretched its lead to 11 points with eight minutes to go in the final frame. However, Clemson did not back down, limiting the home team to just six points in an intense fourth quarter that came down to the wire.
Manufacturing a commanding 14-2 run, the Tigers capitalized on three straight backcourt steals to make it a one-possession game with 4:43 to play in the game. Just 20 seconds later, Westbrook converted a fast break layup off a dish by Collier to put the Tigers ahead, 51-50. Despite a defensive battle in the final minutes, NC State sunk a pair of layups to stave off the Clemson comeback.
Photos by Megan Barnes
Clemson looks to bounce back as they return to Littlejohn Coliseum on Jan. 31 to host No. 1/1 Notre Dame. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will air on ACC Network Extra. Come out and help Pack the ‘John! The first 4,000 fans will receive FREE jersey shaped rally towels!
All single game tickets are on sale for adult and youth/seniors at $6 and $4, respectively. Children 12 and under are free. Single-game and season tickets can be purchased online or at 1-800-CLEMSON. All seats for women’s basketball are general admission.
Get the latest news on all things Clemson women’s basketball by following us on Twitter (@ClemsonWBB), Facebook (/ClemsonTigersWBB) and Instagram (@ClemsonWBB).
