• Recap
• Bleachers

No. 10 Florida State takes 67-50 win over Clemson

Feb 12, 2010 - 2:54 AM By BRENT KALLESTAD Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.(AP) -- Clemson coach Cristy McKinney has seen all she wants of Florida State's Jacinta Monroe.

Monroe had 15 points and 15 rebounds for her 20th career double-double to lead the 10th-ranked Seminoles to a 67-50 victory over McKinney's Tigers on Thursday night.

"It does seem time for her to be a senior," McKinney said. "She's very long, athletic and plays hard. She goes after the ball. A lot of big kids don't go after it like she does."

The 6-5 Monroe said the double-doubles have been tougher to come by in her final season.

"It's a lot harder this year especially since everybody knows I like to go to the boards," Monroe said. "It was easier when nobody knew who I was. I have to work harder."

Monroe also had four blocked shots while helping the Seminoles shake off a sluggish start to defeat Clemson for the second time in a month.

"She's not going to turn a lot of heads, but she gets it done at both ends of the floor," Florida State coach Sue Semrau said. "That's what you hope your seniors will do."

Alysha Harvin and freshman Chasity Clayton added 12 points each for Florida State, which has won seven of its last eight games. Harvin got all of her points in the second half when she made 3 of 4 from 3-point distance.

The Seminoles (21-4, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) managed a 23-20 halftime lead despite shooting just 31 percent after a 1-for-9 start. They shot 53 percent in the second half.

Shaniqua Pauldo led Clemson (11-15, 2-8) with 12 points while Lele Hardy and Sthefany Thomas added 10 each. Pauldo scored the Tigers' first six points of the game and had eight of the first 10, but was held to just four points over the final 32 minutes.

The Seminoles, back in The Associated Press' Top 10 for the first time since mid-December, started their recent strong stretch with an 80-50 victory at Clemson four weeks ago.

Monroe's free throw that converted a three-point play gave the Seminoles their first double digit lead at 32-22 about 4 minutes into the second half.

Monroe's putback with an offensive rebound 33 seconds before halftime pushed the cold-shooting Seminoles into a 21-20 lead and Christian Hunnicutt drained a jumper that beat the buzzer for the three-point halftime lead.

"It was a big momentum shift for us going into the locker room," Monroe said. "Going into the locker room we had to talk about getting things turned around."

Semrau wasn't pleased with the Seminoles' first half.

"It's human nature sometimes when you know you've beaten a team at their place by 30 to come out and think things are going to be a little easier than they are," Semrau said. "You can't do that in the ACC. Clemson showed that and I think that got our attention."

Florida State began the game 1 for 9 from the field, falling behind 10-6, before warming up slightly to 31-percent shooting at halftime.

Clemson struggled even more.

The Tigers shot just 31 percent in the first half and failed to get off a shot before the shot clock expired on three occasions. They fared worse in the second half, shooting just 28 percent to finish at 29 percent for the game.

Keyrra Gillespie had 10 rebounds for Clemson.