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Shayla Fields, a senior guard, drives down the court during an exhibition game in Reynolds Coliseum earlier this season. Fields is the only senior on this year's roster and played in her final home game last night.
The women’s basketball team dominated Clemson 60-43 Thursday on Senior Night to improve to 5-8 in conference play. The Pack looked like the better team from the opening tip to the final whistle, as they took an early 11-1 lead and never looked back, leading the Tigers by no less than 9 at any point in the second half. Senior guard Shayla Fields said she has enjoyed her career and said it felt good to take the court with her teammates one last time.
“I have had a great four years here, I have had so many great people to be around,î” Fields said. “Words can’t express how grateful I am for the opportunity I have gotten to be here. I will always remember us going out and playing as a team [tonight].”
The Wolfpack won thanks in large part to arguably its best defense of the season. The team’s defensive effort held Clemson under ten points until the 1:44 mark of the first half and limited the Tigers to 27 percent shooting on the night. Coach Stephanie Glance said the team always emphasizes defense and said she was pleased with the team’s defensive effort against the Tigers.
“We started playing better on the ball, we starting rotating behind the ball a lot better and we limited their shots,” Glance said. “It’s a big focus for us, we have to play defense, it is just a critical thing for us to compete in any game and have a chance to win it.”
Clemson came out in the second half and executed much better offensively, but was unable to control the Pack’s offense, which improved on 36 percent first half shooting to shooting 52 percent for the second half. After the Tigers cut the lead to nine points at 42-33 with 11:22 remaining, the Wolfpack responded in dominant fashion, outscoring Clemson by a score of 27-10 over the final 11 and a half minutes of the game.
The Pack was led offensively by freshman forward Bonae Holston, who finished with 24 points, 22 of which came in the second half, and senior guard Shayla Fields, who scored 16 points on 6 for 12 shooting from the field in her final home game. Fields, who averages 17.7 points per game this season, has the highest scoring average by a Wolfpack player since Summer Erb averaged 21.5 ten years ago.
Coach Glance talked after the game about all that Fields has contributed to the team throughout her career.
“Shayla is like the rock, she has been a tremendous contributor to the program in so many ways,” Glance said. “She is just a great leader by her actions and by her example.”
Fields was not the only player who performed well in their last game for the Pack, as fellow senior forward Kristy Kenney set career highs in scoring, field goals attempted, and field goals made with six points on 2-5 shooting.
Coach Glance said she was very pleased with Kenney’s work ethic all season long.
“She works hard every day in practice, has a wonderful attitude, is just so positive and is such a great team member,” Glance said. “She has been a tremendous asset, and I’m really thankful she could be part of the program this year.”
Kenney said after the game that the night was one to remember and she specifically mentioned how much she enjoyed leaving the court with fellow senior Shayla Fields.
“Coming out with Shayla, she is such a great player, she has had such a following here at state,” Kenney said. “She was supposed to be the lone senior this year and I came in and she was gracious enough to share her spotlight with me, so coming out with her, that meant a lot, it was fun, pure fun, I had so much fun, fun is tonight.”