Clemson upsets Seminoles, matching most ACC wins since 2004

CU Athletic Communications by

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson Tigers (16-9, 7-5) held their own down the stretch to record a 73-68 win over the No. 21/19 Florida State Seminoles (20-5, 8-4) at Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday. The Tigers were braced by several critical shots in the final minutes to come away with the victory and secure the season sweep of the Seminoles for the first time since 2002.

“We got better today and that’s what we always talk about in the locker room,” said head coach Amanda Butler. “We had a great deal of fight and composure down the stretch and performed well at free-throw line, which is really important for us.”

Clemson shot 55 percent on the night and limited Florida State to 38 percent shooting by way of solid performances on both ends of the floor. For the third straight game, the Tigers shot above 50 percent (55.6 percent) from the arc, a streak that has not occurred since November of 2010.

Four different players reached double figures for the Tigers, including leading scorer Kobi Thornton, who had 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Point guard Danielle Edwards went 3-for-3 from deep as part of a 17-point outing. Over the last three games, Edwards has knocked down 12-of-15 shots from beyond the arc.

Clemson took a 6-0 lead right from the start to set the tone for a competitive contest. The Seminoles boasted a 32-30 advantage at halftime, but the Tigers came out firing in the second half. Clemson outscored Florida State 25-14 in the third quarter, shooting 71 percent from the floor to take a 55-46 lead into the final frame.

The 'Noles were able to hang around and pulled within three points on several occasions, but the Tigers came up clutch in crunch time. With 31 seconds left, center Tylar Bennett sank a jumper off a no-look pass from Aliyah Collier to lock down the Tigers’ third victory over a ranked opponent this season.

Clemson will have a short turnaround before its next matchup as the Tigers traveling north to battle the Boston College Eagles (14-11, 3-9) on Saturday, Feb. 16. The conference clash will tip off at 1 p.m. at Conte Forum and the game will air on ACC Network Extra.

Clemson women's basketball team defeats #21 Florida State for third win over top 25 team this year. Clemson had just three total wins over top 25 teams in the 17 years prior to this year. Amanda Butler ACC Coach of the Year. — Tim Bourret (@TimBourret) February 15, 2019

Clemson women had fimal RPI of 163 last year. With win tonight over Florida State this year RPI is #47. Team has more ACC wins this year (7) than last four Clemson teams combined (6). — Tim Bourret (@TimBourret) February 15, 2019

We have the best fans around! Thanks for showing up, #ClemsonFamily ???? pic.twitter.com/r2NwIXqYS6 — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) February 15, 2019

Fight to the end ?? pic.twitter.com/OmOZhs39de — Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) February 15, 2019

Game Notes: The Tigers now have three wins over ranked opponents under their belt...Clemson has not beaten three Top 25 teams since the 2000-01 season (four ranked wins)...Clemson moves to 7-5 in ACC action, matching the most conference wins for the Tigers since the 2003-04 season...Clemson’s 16 wins this year are also the most wins for the Tigers since that same season (2003-04)…With the win, Clemson recorded the series sweep of Florida State, a feat that has not occurred since the 2001-02 season...The Tigers swept the state of Florida this season...Clemson has now shot above 50 percent in three games this season, marking the first time this has happened since the 2013-14...For the third straight game, the Tigers shot above 50 percent (55.6 percent) from the arc, a streak that has not occurred since November of 2010...Senior Danielle Edwards tallied three assists in the contest, eclipsing the 300-career assists mark...She is just the third player in program history to reach 300 assists, 250 steals and 1,000 career points...For the first time in her career, Edwards has shot 80-plus percent from the 3-point arc in three straight games.