Tigers Fall to No. 5 NC State
Clemson, S.C. – Behind 18 points and eight rebounds from Jada Boyd, fifth-ranked NC State downed Clemson, 79-52, on Thursday night inside Littlejohn Coliseum. The loss drops the Tigers to 6-7 (0-2 ACC) on the year, while the win moves the Wolfpack to 12-2 (3-0 ACC).
The Tigers, down three of their top four scorers, were led by freshman Madi Ott with 14 points, including 12 from beyond the arc. Gabby Elliott finished with 12 points and Amari Robinson was the other Tiger in double-figures with 11. Latrese Saine led Clemson on the boards with six rebounds, while Eno Inyang tallied a career-high four blocks. The Tigers tallied a season-high 13 assists on 22 made baskets and finished with 24 points off of 21 NC State turnovers.
The Wolfpack jumped out to an early lead, winning the first quarter 25-11. The Tigers, however, cut it to nine midway through the second quarter following back-to-back Ott threes and an Elliott layup. The Pack closed the half with two free throws to take a 40-27 lead into halftime.
NC State out-scored the Tigers 26-8 in the third to seemingly put the game out of reach, before Clemson won the game’s final 10 minutes, 17-13.
The Tigers are back in action on Sunday, January 2, traveling to #24 North Carolina for a 6:00 p.m. matchup on the ACC Network.