The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
No. 1 South Carolina Pulls Away From Clemson for 65-44 Victory
By Megan McCarthy
Photo: Mikedux / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
CLEMSON, S.C. — No. 1 South Carolina used a dominant third quarter to pull away from Clemson, turning a nine-point halftime lead into a 21-point victory Thursday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina.
The Gamecocks defeated the Tigers 65-44, improving to 3-0. Clemson fell to 3-1 after being held to 44 points and shooting 22.4% from the field.
South Carolina led 19-14 after the first quarter and carried a 30-21 advantage into halftime. Clemson had kept the game within reach through the opening 20 minutes, but the third quarter changed the contest. South Carolina outscored the Tigers 21-7 in the period to take a 51-28 lead. Clemson won the fourth quarter 16-14, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 13 points, nine of them coming in the third quarter, according to the Associated Press via South Carolina Athletics. Chloe Kitts added 12 points and 12 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double and the 19th of her career.
Clemson struggled to find its offense after halftime. The Tigers went 0-for-7 from the field in the third quarter and finished 11-of-49 overall, a 22.4% shooting mark. They made 2 of 16 attempts from 3-point range and committed 21 turnovers, according to the ESPN box score.
Mackenzie Nelson led Clemson with a game-high 17 points.
South Carolina converted Clemson’s mistakes into points, scoring 19 points off the Tigers’ 21 turnovers. The Gamecocks also scored 36 points in the paint, according to the ESPN box score.
The victory extended South Carolina’s winning streak against Clemson to 16 straight games. The Tigers’ last win over the Gamecocks came Nov. 19, 2009, according to the Associated Press via South Carolina Athletics.
The announced attendance was 5,629, the fourth-largest home crowd in Clemson women’s basketball history, according to the Associated Press via South Carolina Athletics.
Megan McCarthy
Women’s College Basketball, The Library Media
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