Late rally lifts North Georgia to stunning 68-64 victory over Clayton State men
Junior guard scores career-high 22 points as Lakers improve to 11-5 overall and 6-3 in Peach Belt

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – January 23, 2008 – Using a 25-8 run in the final eight minutes of the game, the North Georgia Saints pulled off a stunning come-from-behind 68-64 Peach Belt Conference victory over the visiting Clayton State Laker men’s basketball team on Wednesday at North Georgia’s Memorial Hall.

The defeat snaps a three-game winning streak for Clayton State, now 8-8 overall and 4-5 in the Peach Belt.

Clayton State led throughout the game, and appeared ready to pull away with 8:22 remaining. Ricky Garrett connected on two free throws on an intentional foul, and Michael Sloan followed with a 3-point basket to give the Lakers a 56-43 lead.

That’s when everything unraveled for Clayton State. North Georgia responded with an 18-3 run as Andre Morgan connected on three straight 3-point baskets to cut the Laker lead to 59-55 with 4:53 remaining. Xavier Trice followed with another 3-point basket, and Nick Pope connected on a 3-point basket from the left corner to give the Saints a 61-59 lead at the 3:23 mark.

Clayton State tied the game on its ensuing possession on a Bernard Fields lay-up, but North Georgia took the lead for good when Anthony Rowe converted a 3-point play with 2:08 remaining. Pope extended the Saint lead to 66-61 on two free throws with 1:27 remaining.

The closest Clayton State could trim the lead was two points on a Sloan 3-point basket with 44 seconds remaining. The Lakers made a defensive stop with 11 seconds remaining, but Rowe preserved the victory for North Georgia with an offensive rebound.

Clayton State got 20 points on six 3-point baskets from Sloan, including 14 in the first half when the Lakers shot 53 percent from the field and led 38-30 at halftime. He tied his single-game school record for 3-point baskets. Garrett, Tracy Williams and Brian Kelly each scored nine points. Williams also dished out a game-high 10 assists for the Lakers.

Morgan scored 17 points for North Georgia (8-7, 3-5 PBC) on 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point range, while Pope scored 16 points and Rowe scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. For the game, North Georgia shot 43 percent (9-for-21) from 3-point range.

Clayton State is back home on Saturday with a 4 p.m. Peach Belt Conference showdown against Francis Marion at the Athletics and Fitness Center.