Laker women send seniors out winners with
85-69 victory over Georgia College
Wiles scores 16 points as 22nd-ranked Clayton wins Peach Belt regular season title outright

MORROW, Ga. – FEBRUARY 24, 2007 – Six Clayton State senior women’s basketball players played their final regular season home game at the Athletics and Fitness Center on Saturday, and they went out winners as the Lakers downed visiting Georgia College 85-69.

The victory ends the regular season for Clayton State at 22-5 overall and 12-4 in the Peach Belt Conference. In addition, the Lakers win the Peach Belt regular season title outright for the second time in the last three seasons. Clayton State will be the No. 1 seed from the South Division in the upcoming Peach Belt Tournament at Lander, playing either Armstrong Atlantic or USC-Upstate in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Unlike the previous game at Georgia College where the Lakers trailed early by 11 points, Clayton State started strong in the first half. After Georgia College rallied from an eight-point deficit to tie the game at 15-15, Clayton State responded with a 15-2 run over a stretch of five minutes.

Nikkisha Pritchett drained two 3-point baskets to give the Lakers a 23-15 lead, and then a 3-point basket by Robert Phillips stretched the Clayton State to 30-17 at the 8:15 mark. Clayton State twice increased its lead to 14 points, only to see Georgia College cut the deficit to seven points with 2:22 remaining.

However, the Lakers closed out the half on a 12-4 run as Basia Bukowska’s 3-point basket at the buzzer gave Clayton State a 49-34 lead.

Georgia College made a game of it early in the second half. The Bobcats used a 13-3 run to trim the Laker lead to five points as Tiauna Brantley’s jump shot made the Clayton State lead 58-53 with 11:50 remaining. That, however, was as close as Georgia College would get.

Clayton State increased its lead back to 11 points as Crystal Brown’s 3-point play gave the Lakers a 64-53 lead with 9:45 remaining. On three occasions, the largest lead for Clayton State was 19 points, including 85-66 on Sharon Wiles’ lay-up with a minute remaining.

Wiles paced the Lakers with 16 points and her five steals gives her 104 for the season – the second straight season that she has eclipsed 100 steals. Pritchett had another stellar performance off the bench with 14 points, while Alecia Humphrey recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Phillips added 10 points off the bench for Clayton State.

For the game, Clayton State’s bench produced 46 points, and the Lakers out-rebounded Georgia College 56-46.

For Georgia College (19-8, 10-6), Marquita Driskell recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Emily Bixler scored 15 points and Brantley added 14 points.