BOX SCORE
CLEMSON, S.C. — A furious second-half comeback made for a riveting finish at Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday, as Clemson erased a 20-point deficit and nearly pulled out a win over Boston College. However, the Eagles sank a couple of free throws in the final seconds and defeated the Tigers 70-68.
Both teams fared well from the field, with Boston College (13-10, 6-6) producing a shooting percentage of 47.5 and Clemson (7-17, 3-10) shooting 42.2 percent on field goal attempts. The Tigers went 5-for-15 on 3-pointers and outrebounded the Eagles 39-34. Clemson excelled on the offensive glass, corralling 19 offensive boards and recording 19 second-chance points. On defense, the Tigers forced 19 turnovers, which led to 20 Clemson points being scored. Boston College made 7-of-22 3-balls and tallied 36 points in the paint.
Kendall Spray was Clemson’s leading scorer on the afternoon, with the sharp shooter registering 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 3-of-8 mark from beyond the arc. Twelve of Spray’s points came in the second half. Kobi Thornton went 7-of-10 on shot attempts, finishing with 15 points to go along with her four rebounds. Amari Robinson tabbed 13 points and nine boards, and Hannah Hank scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. For Boston College, Emma Guy scored 24 points while Makayla Dickens notched 21 points.
In the first quarter, the Tigers attained seven offensive boards and seven second-chance points, but the Eagles led 21-14 through one quarter of action. Thornton reached the 300-point mark for the season via a 3-point play in the second quarter, as she fought through contact for a contested layup and knocked down the ensuing free throw. Boston College went on to lead 41-26 at the intermission, though. After trailing by as many as 20 points in the first half, the Tigers came out firing in the third quarter.
Spray sparked Clemson’s turnaround by going 5-for-9 from the floor and compiling 12 points in the third quarter. The Tigers used an 11-1 run to pull within five and outscored the Eagles 28-18 in the third period. Clemson proceeded to win the fourth quarter 14-11, but Boston College ultimately won the game 70-68. A game-tying jumper by Hank with 1:42 remaining completed the Tigers’ come-from-behind effort, knotting the score at 66 points apiece. On the next possession, Robinson made the score 68-68 by beating the shot clock buzzer with a layup off a great pass from Destiny Thomas, who finished with a game-high eight assists. Boston College drew a foul on the next possession, and, after the first free throw was made, the Eagles regained possession via a jump ball on the missed second attempt. That culminated in another free throw being made and time expiring on a game-ending offensive rebound.
Clemson will remain home to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (12-11, 5-7) their next time out. On Thursday, Jan. 9, the Demon Deacons defeated the Tigers 63-58 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons and the Tigers will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 13, with the matchup at Littlejohn set to tip off at 7 p.m. and air on ACC Network Extra.
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