Photo: Dez Barnes
CLEMSON, S.C. – Mia Moore scored 20 points in her 90th career start, freshman Julia Scott added 12, and Clemson women’s basketball beat ETSU 76-57 on Thursday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Tigers (2-0) won every quarter. They shot 50.8% overall and forced 13 turnovers. The Buccaneers (1-1) stayed within a basket early but could not find enough offense to keep up.
A fifth year, and a big night
The night meant something for Moore. The NCAA granted the graduate guard a fifth year of eligibility on Oct. 23, ending about seven months of back and forth. She made her 90th career start against ETSU and played like it. She made 7 of 8 shots, added five assists and three rebounds, and hit threes when Clemson needed them.
Scott, a freshman guard, had her breakout game. She scored just two points in her debut against Radford on Monday, but she finished against ETSU with 12 points, six rebounds and 5-of-10 shooting. Scott is part of the highest-ranked recruiting class in Clemson history, and she had not practiced for weeks before the game.
First half: close early, Tigers pull ahead
Clemson struck first with a three-pointer, and the game stayed tight. ETSU took a one-point lead with 8:09 left in the first quarter, but the Tigers answered with free throws and a three from Scott to retake it. They led 16-13 after one quarter.
Mackenzie Nelson was a difference-maker on defense, and Clemson used its three-point shooting to hold on to a narrow lead as the game went back and forth. Edie Clarke had nine first-half points on 4-of-7 shooting, and Taliyah Henderson added eight with two threes. ETSU’s Lucia France was strong at the basket, and her presence in the paint was felt all night.
The Tigers led 33-25 at halftime. They had led for 18:42 of the first half and trailed for just 40 seconds.
Second half: Moore takes over
ETSU came out of the break hungry, and Clemson’s defense eased up for a stretch, which let the Buccaneers hang around. With 7:07 left in the third quarter the Tigers led by nine, and neither team had a foul yet, a sign of the discipline both coaches wanted. Both coaches also kept their timeouts late into the third quarter. Clemson led 56-43 going into the fourth.
Moore drove the offense, adding three-pointers and getting into the paint. Her veteran leadership showed. In the fourth, R. Augustinaite hit a three to put Clemson at 59 with fewer than 10 minutes left, and the Tigers pulled away from there.
ETSU played a physical, fundamentally sound game. The Buccaneers scored 34 points in the paint, but they will need more scoring efficiency and better three-point shooting to compete in the Southern Conference.
By the numbers
Clemson
Points: 76
Scoring percentage: 50.8%
Points in the paint: 36
Bench points: 18
Fast-break points: 5
Second-chance points: 6
Turnovers: 13
Points per possession: 1.206
Time leading: 38:42
ETSU
Points: 57
Scoring percentage: 40.3%
Points in the paint: 34
Bench points: 15
Fast-break points: 3
Points off turnovers: 14
Turnovers: 13
Offensive rebounds: 8
Points per possession: .851
Clemson made 12 of 20 layups, while ETSU made 13 of 27. The Tigers outscored the Buccaneers in every quarter, 16-13, 17-12, 23-18 and 20-14.
Standouts
Clemson: Moore had 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. Clarke had 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and four rebounds, and Scott had 12 points and six rebounds. Nelson had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and a game-high seven assists.
ETSU: Daniela Lopez had 10 points and six rebounds, and Anala Nelson had 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. France had eight points and five rebounds, and Lucy Hood had six points and three assists.
What’s next
Clemson hosts UNC Greensboro on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. It then takes on rival South Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum, in the Palmetto Series. The Gamecocks reached the Final Four last season.
The win was Shawn Poppie’s 85th career victory and his 37th at Clemson. Clemson is now 8-0 all-time against ETSU, and Poppie is 6-0 against the Buccaneers as a head coach.
Related: Clemson women’s basketball | Clemson’s full schedule | Mia Moore’s stats | Clemson vs. Florida State preview
