Second-half rally propels Francis Marion past Clayton State men 67-64
Fields scores 15 points as Lakers finish regular season 13-14 and 9-11 in PBC

FLORENCE, S.C. – March 1, 2008 – Playing its 2007-08 regular season finale, the Clayton State Lakers could not hold onto a second half lead on Saturday as Francis Marion rallied for a 67-64 victory over the visiting Lakers at the Smith Center.

The defeat ends Clayton State’s regular season at 13-14 overall and 9-11 in the Peach Belt Conference.

After shooting 52 percent in the first half from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range to lead 37-26 at halftime, the Lakers appeared in complete control. They opened the second half on an 8-2 run as two straight lay-ups by Michael Sloan staked Clayton State to a commanding 45-28 lead with 16:30 remaining.

Francis Marion rallied over the next five minutes behind four 3-point baskets by Houston Power to claw into the lead. But the Lakers still held a 10-point lead 54-44 on a lay-up by Armel Traore Dit Nignan with 10 minutes remaining.

However, the Patriots found their rhythm. Michael Laney drained a 3-point basket with 6:33 remaining to trim the Laker lead to five points, followed by a 3-point play by Sam Smith to make the Clayton State lead 57-54 with 5:09 remaining. David Turner and Laney then followed with back-to-back 3-point baskets to give Francis Marion a 60-59 lead with 3:54 remaining.

The Patriots increased the lead to five points as Laney drained two free throws and then nailed a jump shot to give Francis Marion a 64-59 lead with 40 seconds remaining.

Clayton State trimmed the lead to two points with its first field goal in seven minutes on a 3-point basket by Tracy Williams. After Francis Marion’s Nate Morley made only one-of-two from the free throw line with 17 seconds remaining, the Lakers had one final opportunity to tie the game.

However, 3-point attempts by Sloan and Will Lewis were off the mark a time expired.

For the second straight game, Bernard Fields paced Clayton State with 15 points, followed by Sloan with 13 points and four steals. The senior guard set a new Clayton State career record for steals with 170. Williams added nine points, six rebounds and five assists for the Lakers.

For Francis Marion (12-15, 6-14 PBC), Power scored 17 points on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range, while Laney scored 15 points off the bench on three 3-point baskets. Smith added 11 points for the Patriots, who shot 58 percent (7-for-12) from 3-point range in the second half.

Clayton State plays next in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, which begins on Wednesday at USC-Aiken’s Convocation Center. The Lakers’ opponent and game time is to be determined.