Wake Forest University
Clemson
Clemson Slips Past Deacons in Regular Season Finale, 67-62
2/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2010
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team fell at Clemson 67-62 in the regular season finale.
Wake Forest will head into the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a 17-12, 7-7 record. Clemson finishes play with a 13-17, 4-10 record. Pairings for the ACC Tournament will be announced this afternoon. Play begins in Greensboro, N.C. on Thursday, March 4.
Clemson senior Lele Hardy had the game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Sandra Garcia led the Deacons with 15 points. Brittany Waters had the team-high eight rebounds.
The Demon Deacons shot 40 percent from the floor and out-rebounded Clemson 38-30. The squad also tied its season-high mark in free throw percentage, shooting making 87.5 percent. Clemson had a 14-18 advantage in turnovers.
Clemson held a 33-25 lead at halftime and the Tigers led by as much as 13 points in the second half, but Wake Forest was able to come back in the final six minutes.
Secily Ray cut the Clemson lead to two-possessions when she broke through traffic to send up a jumper at 5:37. Clemson lost control on the next possession and Sandra Garica followed with a layup to set the score at 56-54 with 5:05 to play.
Clemson head coach Cristy McKinney called a timeout and Stefany Thomas hit a layup and drew a foul to push the Tigers back up 59-54.
At the three minute mark Sandra Garcia fired a 3-pointer to tie the score at 59-59. The teams exchanged baskets and a pair of free throws from Lele Hardy pushed Clemson up 64-62 heading into the final minute of regulation. Mike Petersen called a time out with 50 seconds to play to set up the game plan. But the Deacons were unable to convert on back-to-back three point attempts and Clemson racked up the final three points at the free throw line.
