Clayton State men hit Peach Belt Conference milestone in 62-44 victory over Francis Marion
Williams scores career-high 18 points as Lakers win 100th conference game in program history

MORROW, GA. – January 26, 2008 – The Clayton State Laker men’s basketball team reached an impressive milestone on Saturday, recording its 100th victory in Peach Belt Conference play with a solid 62-44 victory over visiting Francis Marion at the Athletics and Fitness Center.

Clayton State has now won four of its last five games to improve to 9-8 overall and 5-5 in the Peach Belt Conference. Since becoming full-fledge members of the Peach Belt Conference in the 1997-98 season, Clayton State is now 100-80 in Peach Belt Conference play, becoming the eighth team ever in conference history to reach 100 conference victories.

That includes a 76-40 Peach Belt Conference mark under head coach Gordon Gibbons.

The defensive effort was stellar for the Lakers as Clayton State held the Patriots to only 29 percent shooting from the field and only 19 percent shooting from the floor in allowing the lowest single-game point total of the season. In the second half alone, Francis Marion shot only 5-for-22 from the field for 22 percent, and the Patriots were 0-for-12 from 3-point range.

Still, Francis Marion stayed with striking distance, taking an early 12-5 lead on 12-1 run at the start of the game. The Patriots never let the Lakers get more than a six-point lead, and trimmed the Clayton State lead to 30-28 at halftime.

In the second half, however, Clayton State gradually pulled away. The Lakers increased their lead to 10 points on a 10-2 run over a three-minute span. Ricky Garrett scored the last five points of the rally, including a 3-point basket to give Clayton State a 44-34 lead with 13:47 remaining.

After Francis Marion cut the lead to seven points, Clayton State responded with a 9-0 run to take a 16-point lead. Brian Kelly started the rally with an alley-oop dunk off a Michael Sloan assist following a Francis Marion turnover. Tracy Williams added a 3-point basket, and Sloan’s running lay-up gave the Lakers a 53-37 lead with 6:47 remaining.

Clayton State took its largest lead of the game, 62-42 on an inside jump shot by Kelly with 46 seconds remaining.

Williams scored a career-high 18 points for Clayton State, while grabbing eight rebounds with four assists. Garrett scored 13 points with eight rebounds, while Sloan scored 11 points for the Lakers. Clayton State shot 47 percent from the field, including 55 percent in second half.

Junior forward Ziyadah Carter scored 14 points for Francis Marion (8-7, 2-6 PBC).

Clayton State battles in-state rival Armstrong Atlantic in a key Peach Belt Conference showdown at the Athletics and Fitness Center on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.