South Carolina started freshmen Iva Sliskovic (Croatia)
Lady Tigers rally to stop USC in overtime thriller
CLEMSON 103, SOUTH CAROLINA 99
BY GENE SAPAKOFF
Of The Post and Courier Staff
CLEMSON--The sizzle of Rivalry Week got off to an early start late Friday night as the Clemson women's basketball team bounced back to down South Carolina, 103-99 in overtime, after blowing a 13-point lead with seven minutes remaining in regulation.
A crowd of 3,423 watched what was a physically and mentally draining season opener for both teams -- perhaps the best game in series history.
"I just think it's our basketball team's determination," Clemson senior guard Julie Aderhold said. "We have a group of girls who aren't going to cow down to anybody."
South Carolina senior guard Kelly Morrone knotted the game, 91-91, with a 3-point shot with three seconds left in regulation to send the game into OT. The Gamecocks took a quick lead in the extra period but sophomore guard Julie Talley dropped a 3-point shot to give Clemson a 96-95 edge, senior forward Lakeia Stokes scored on a putback to extend the lead to 98-95 and South Carolina couldn't get closer.
"This is certainly a tough one for our team," South Carolina head coach Susan Walvius said. "But it's a great opportunity for our team to learn and move forward. We need to win these close games."
Motivated by unusually low expectations for what has been one of the nation's elite programs, the Tigers avenged a 72-58 loss at South Carolina in the season opener a year ago.
"I thought we had more people diving on the floor than we had all last season put together," Clemson head coach Jim Davis said.
Three Clemson players had career-high scoring games: Stokes with 32 points, Aderhold with 24 and reserve guard Kanetra Queen with 13. Talley scored 15 points.
South Carolina, coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons, got a triple-double from senior guard Cristina Ciocan: 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Morrone scored 21 points and freshman forward Olga Gritsaeva 20.
Clemson was picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a preseason media poll and missed the NCAA Tournament last season for only the second time in Davis' 16 seasons as Tigers head coach. But experience paid off Friday night, particularly in the early going; Clemson has four starters back from last season while South Carolina started freshmen Iva Sliskovic (Croatia), Gritsaeva (Russia) and Lauren Simms (Columbia's Spring Valley High School).
Clemson leads the series, 30-19. The Tigers had won seven games in a row against South Carolina before the loss last year.
South Carolina hosts Appalachian State Monday night. Clemson plays Brigham Young at midnight Monday in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout.
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