Edwards’ 3s lead Clemson over South Dakota 79-66 in NCAAs

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Simone Westbrook scored 27 points, Danielle Edwards added 25 and ninth-seeded Clemson pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat No. 8 seed South Dakota 79-66 on Friday in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Edwards made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to turn a tight game into a fairly comfortable victory. The 5-foot-7 senior made 10 of 17 shots, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range.

Clemson (20-12) trailed for much of the game until late in the third quarter, when Westbrook made a 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 47-45 lead. The Tigers never trailed again, partly because of Edwards and partly because South Dakota’s shooting touch vanished.

South Dakota (28-6) shot just 3 of 19 from 3-point range in the second half. The Coyotes were in the NCAA Tournament after earning the first at-large bid in Summit League history.

Hannah Sjerven led South Dakota with 17 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

South Dakota shot 50 percent from the field in the first half to take a 35-31 halftime lead. Sjerven hit all five of her shots before the break to lead the Coyotes with 10 points.

BIG PICTURE

Clemson: It’s another great win in a remarkable season for the Tigers. Clemson was picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC, but has flourished under first-year coach Amanda Butler. Now the Tigers have won 20 games and will play again on Sunday.

South Dakota: The Coyotes looked unstoppable for parts of the first half, but couldn’t hit a basket in the fourth quarter while Edwards got hot. South Dakota appears to have a decent shot to make the NCAA Tournament again next year considering it loses just one senior.