Skinner Makes Two Half-Court Buzzer Beaters, Delaware Beats Clemson In WNIT

Saturday, March 20

Charlotte, N.C.

5 p.m.

University of Delaware

23-4,16-2CAA

Clemson

12-14,5-12ACC

Delaware

Clemson

Photo by: Ryan Griffith

Skinner Makes Two Half-Court Buzzer Beaters, Delaware Beats Clemson In WNIT

3/20/2021 8:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The Blue Hens defeat Clemson 87-74 to advance to the Charlotte Region Final

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Freshman guard Tyi Skinner drained two half-court buzzer beaters to propel Delaware past Clemson in the second round of the Postseason WNIT Saturday evening inside Bojangles Coliseum.

After a Clemson made basket with three seconds left in the second quarter, Skinner dribbled to half court and heaved a shot that banked in to give the Blue Hens a 44-39 lead at halftime. During the last three seconds of the third quarter, Skinner intercepted a Tigers in-bounds pass, took two dribbles, and drained another half-court shot at the buzzer to put Delaware ahead 64-56.

It's Show Time in Charlotte! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/yTA14sNlsL
— Delaware Women's Basketball (@DelawareWBB) March 20, 2021

Skinner finished with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, while junior guard Jasmine Dickey led the Blue Hens (23-4, 16-2 Colonial Athletic Association) with 26 points. Delicia Washington led all scorers with 28 for the Tigers (12-14, 5-12 Atlantic Coast Conference).

All she does is hit half-court shots! Look at this beauty from @ShowTim3_Tyi 😍 #BlueHens pic.twitter.com/HtjbqAQngY
— Delaware Women's Basketball (@DelawareWBB) March 20, 2021

For the first time in program history, Delaware has beaten two ACC teams in the same year. The Blue Hens also won at Pittsburgh, 85-79, on Dec. 6.

Redshirt junior forward Ty Battle rounded out the Blue Hens in double figures, pouring in 14 points off a brutally efficient 7-of-9 shooting night, and grabbing nine rebounds. Senior forward Lizzie Oleary had a monster night on the boards, corralling a career-high 13 rebounds.

Delaware had a strong shooting performance, knocking down 45.9% (34-74) of its field goals and 37.5% (6-16) of its threes while holding Clemson to 37.5% (24-64) from the field and 26.7% (4-15) from beyond the arc.

Defensively, the Blue Hens had nine steals among 18 forced turnovers, which they converted into 23 points. The Tigers scored just nine points off 11 Delaware turnovers.

A fast break lay-up by Destiny Thomas gave Clemson a 54-51 lead with 4:47 left in the third quarter, but Delaware closed the period on a 13-2 run, highlighted by Skinner's second half-court buzzer beater, to take a 64-56 lead into the fourth.

The Blue Hens outscored the Tigers 20-8 to open the final period, and led by as many as 20 to close out the game in convincing fashion.

Delaware advances to the Charlotte Region Final, where it will play the winner of Villanova-Florida on Monday, March 22 at 7 p.m. Every game of the Postseason WNIT is streamed on FloHoops.