BIMINI, Bahamas – No. 11/11 Tennessee used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away and defeat Clemson, 78-66, in the opening game of the 2018 Women’s Junkanoo Jam on Thursday at Gateway Christian Academy.
Entering the final period knotted up at 54, the Lady Vols outscored the Tigers 24-12 in the final stanza to improve to 4-0 on the season. Clemson, which lost by 12 in Columbia to No. 13/12 South Carolina last week, fell to 2-3.
Senior guard/forward Meme Jackson led UT in scoring, riding 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to tally 14 points. Junior forward Rennia Daviswas right behind Jackson with 13 points, followed by senior forward Cheridene Green with 11 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore center Kasiyahna Kushkituah with 11 points and six boards.
Clemson had three in double figures, with Danielle Edwards and Simone Westbrook each firing in 19. Kobi Thornton added 10. The Lady Vols tallied 14 steals, forcing the Tigers into 23 turnovers, and out-rebounded CU, 41-32.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with each team trying to gain its footing. The Lady Vols led 7-4 at the first media timeout with 4:45 to go, getting field goals from Davis and Zaay Green and a three-pointer from Jackson. Clemson, however, would shrug off a 14-8 rebounding deficit and nine turnovers to finish the quarter with a 17-16 lead after shooting 7-of-13 on field goals. UT, meanwhile, hit on 7-of-20 shots, with seven different players getting on the scoreboard.
The second period saw the Lady Vols surge to a six-point lead at 27-21 with 6:20 to go after Jackson hit her third three of the game and then fed Kushkituah for a lay-up inside. The Tigers fought back, however, outscoring UT 11-5 the rest of the way to forge a 32-all tie at the intermission. Jackson’s nine points led UT, while Kushkituah added seven. Simone Westbrook paced Clemson with 12 on 5-of-10 shooting.
Clemson built a four-point lead on three occasions during the third period, as foul trouble started to mount for UT with Westbrook and both Greens picking up their third fouls. The Lady Vols were resilient, however, fighting back to tie the score with 4:29 to go at 44-all when Westbrook found Mimi Collins underneath for a layup.
UT would lead by as many as seven during the third quarter, going on top 52-45 with 2:46 to go after a Jackson three. Clemson clawed back into it, though, outscoring UT 7-2 to send the game to the final frame deadlocked at 54.
The fourth period looked to mirror the first three, with the teams swapping baskets to make it 58-all with 7:38 remaining. Clemson wouldn’t score again, however, until 1:56 remained, suffering the onslaught of a 13-0 Tennessee run that put the Lady Vols up, 71-60, with 2:19 to go. UT would hold off the Tigers with 5-of-6 free throw shooting in the final period and finished the game at 71 percent (10-14).
UT shot 60 percent (9-15) from the field in the fourth to close out the game, with Zaay Green (8), Davis (6) and Cheridene Green (5) scoring 19 of UT’s 24 final-stanza points. The Lady Vols, meanwhile, held Clemson to 5-of-13 shooting and forced six fourth-quarter turnovers to seal the deal.
Up Next: Tennessee will play in the championship game of the Junkanoo Division against UAB on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be available for streaming online via FLOHOOPS (subscription required).
International Record: With the win over Clemson, Tennessee’s record when playing internationally remains perfect under Holly Warlick at 9-0.
Meme For Threeee: Senior Meme Jackson knocked down four treys against Clemson. She has now hit three or more 3-pointers in three of Tennessee’s four games this season and leads the team from behind the arc with 11 made on the season.
Pressure Defense: Tennessee forced 23 turnovers against Clemson to extend its streak of creating 20+ turnovers to four games.
Balanced Scoring: With five players finding their way to double-digit points against Clemson, Tennessee has had four or more players in double figures in all four games thus far this season.
-UT Athletics
