MORROW, Ga. - November 17, 2007 – The 2007-08 season started on a strong note for the Clayton State Laker men’s basketball team on Saturday with an impressive 80-48 romp over visiting Tennessee Temple at the Athletics and Fitness Center.

It marks the third straight season that Clayton State has won its season opener, and the Lakers are 13-5 lifetime in season openers.

Clayton State head coach Gordon Gibbons, now in his seventh season at the Laker helm, presented Clayton State with two goals for the game. One, hold the opponent under 50 points, and two, hold the opponent under 35 percent shooting from the field. Clayton State did just that, not only holding the Crusaders to 48 points, but also 28 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent shooting from 3-point range.

The Lakers broke open a close game in the first half thanks to a whopping 25-0 run over a seven-minute stretch.

It started with a 3-point basket by Jordan Windisch, giving Clayton State a 14-11 lead with 13:16 remaining. Bernard Fields and Michael Sloan then each scored five points as the Lakers increased the lead to 28-11 with 9:20 remaining.

A jump shot by Fields, followed by a lay-up in transition by Tracy Williams staked Clayton State to a 36-11 lead at the 6:07 mark. Sloan then increased the Laker lead back to 25 points, 46-21 with a 3-point basket with 50 seconds remaining in the half.

Tennessee Temple never got closer than 22 points in the second half as Clayton State continued its stellar pressure on both ends of the court. The Lakers stretched their lead to better than 30 points on three occasions, the last coming on a free throw by Brian Kelly to give Clayton State a 76-46 lead with 2:09 remaining.

Sloan poured in a career-high 23 points for Clayton State on four 3-point baskets. With those four 3-point baskets, Sloan now holds the all-time Clayton State record for 3-point baskets with 135. Kelly recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Will Lewis, Jerome Boyd and Fields each added nine points. Boyd also grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and Lewis had 10 rebounds as the Lakers out-rebounded Tennessee Temple 61-38.

Rokas Gricius and Vic Taylor each scored 12 points for Tennessee Temple (1-8), while O’Brien Callahan added 10 points. Gricius and Callahan also recorded double-doubles with 10 rebounds each.