App State women’s basketball lost to the Clemson University Tigers Sunday by a score of 78-59. The defeat snapped the Mountaineers’ 3-game winning streak.
Senior guard Emily Hege splashed a 3-pointer on the Black and Gold’s first possession to give App State an early lead. The Mountaineers went on a 6-0 run to start the game.
Clemson closed the gap and took the lead on their first 3-pointer of the game by guard Rusne Augustinaite. The Tigers followed up with a 12-1 run.
Graduate student guard Jada Burton scored the first field goal for the Mountaineers in eight minutes, which was followed by a jumper and a 3-pointer from senior guard Emma Smith to give App State the lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the Mountaineers led the Tigers 18-15, shooting 50% from the field.
Smith had just 6 points in the previous two games but was already up to 7 against the Tigers after a jumper to start the second quarter.
Clemson regained the lead in the second quarter with a 10-0 run. It was a six-minute scoring drought for the Black and Gold before freshman forward Addie Biel scored her first points of the game. She scored again on the following possession to cut the Tiger advantage to 1.
Hege put the Mountaineers in front after driving and laying it in with her left hand. The 8-0 run for App State was halted by a Clemson 3-pointer to tie the game at 28.
The two teams went into halftime tied at 30, with Smith leading the game in scoring at 9 points.
Clemson scored first in the third quarter, but Hege found junior guard Daisia Mitchell, who was wide open under the basket.
Mitchell continued her strong start to the third quarter, scoring the first 5. However, App State found itself down 6 after a Clemson 3-pointer.
Smith continued her strong performance offensively, scoring on a layup to cut the lead to 2.
Clemson started to pull away at the end of the third quarter, taking an 8-point lead into the final quarter of the game, which was the largest of the afternoon for the Tigers.
App State’s chances crumbled in the fourth quarter as the Clemson lead expanded to 17. After clawing back in the third quarter to make the Tigers lead 2 points, Clemson went on a 17-2 run.
Mitchell finally ended the Clemson scoring run, but the game had already gotten away from the Mountaineers. The Black and Gold kept pushing, but the Tigers ultimately took the game 78-59.
With the game tied at 30 at the end of the first half, Clemson ended up taking the half 48-29 to cruise to the victory.
App State will open up conference play on the road in Huntington, West Virginia on Dec. 17 against Marshall University. The game will tip off at 11 a.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
