Clemson Tigers

Hines-Allen leads No. 9 Louisville to 60-46 Clemson win (Jan 26, 2017)

Published Jan. 26, 2017 9:39 p.m. ET

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AP

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Myisha Hines-Allen didn't feel much like celebrating a Louisville milestone, not after the sluggish performance the Cardinals had at Clemson.

Hines-Allen had 13 of her 16 points in the final two quarters as No. 9 Louisville held off the Tigers 60-46 for the program's 800th all-time victory. For Hines-Allen, it was more about her team's slow start and spotty play that had them finishing 17 points below their season scoring average.

''We have to get better with that because once we go further into the season and the ACC tournament, we can't have those slow starts because when you get to the tournament, it's one and done,'' she said.

If Louisville (19-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) hopes to keep moving on, Hines-Allen knows they'll need a crisper performance.

Cardinals coach Jeff Walz saw this coming at shoot-around. He was not happy with his team's preparation and focus facing Clemson (11-10, 0-8), a team that has lost 41 straight games to ACC opponents.

''I don't care what somebody's record is, you're playing an ACC program,'' Walz said. ''It's my fault. It amazes me you can't come prepared to play every night. You only get so many opportunities.''

Things got dicey for Louisville in the final quarter, up just 41-35 after Danielle Edwards' 3-pointer with 8:22 to go. But Kylee Shook answered with a three and Briahanna Jackson a bucket as Louisville pushed the lead to double-digits.

Clemson could not respond, although this must seem like some sort of triumph given the last time they faced a top 10 team at home in No. 6 Florida State almost two weeks ago, the Tigers were crushed 86-27.

''We're going to continue to fight because there's a lot of basketball left,'' Clemson coach Audra Smith said.

Asia Durr, the team's top scorer at 17 points a game, hit two 3-pointers in the game's first 11 minutes, then was quiet for long stretches and finished with 13 points. Her scoring partner, Hines-Allen, had just three points in the first two quarters before heating up.

Mariya Moore also had 13 points for the Cardinals, who were held to less than 40 percent shooting.

Kobi Thornton and Aliyah Collier had 10 points apiece to lead Clemson. Collier had 11 rebounds.

THE BIG PICTURE

Louisville: The Cardinals have averaged 37 points in the first half this season, but were held in check by scrappy Clemson. Louisville hit just 9 of 27 shots in the first two quarters and were 1 of 10 during one stretch. Still, their height and experience - Louisville started three players 6-foot or taller while Clemson started just one - kept them in front 24-18. Hines-Allen and Moore combined to go 2 of 9 for six points the first 20 minutes in a game that figured to a be a name-your-score affair for the talented Cardinals.

Clemson: The Tigers looked like they got a boost from the return of leading scorer and overall leader Nelly Perry. She did not start, but she entered there was a noticeable uptick in pace of play. Perry missed her first three shots, shaking the rust off. Clemson needs her on the court to compete against ACC opponents.

PERRY'S BACK

Clemson leading scorer Nelly Perry had missed the past five games with a shoulder injury. She was rusty in this one, making just one of 10 shots in 21 minutes. But Perry's flow and feel for the game increased as the contest went on.

800th WIN

Louisville is the 39th women's Division I program with at least 800 victories. Tennessee leads the division with 1,312 wins after beating Florida on Thursday night.

Cardinals coach Jeff Walz said the milestone win is a testament to the great coaches and players who've come before. ''It speaks volumes for the history,'' he said. ''We'll hopefully continue to add to that number.''

UP NEXT

Louisville concludes a three-game road swing at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Clemson hosts Georgia Tech on Sunday.

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More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25.

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