             |
Head coach Dennis Cox and the 17th-ranked Lakers were determined not to let that happen again on Wednesday at this season’s Peach Belt newcomer – Georgia Southwestern. It didn’t.
With four players scoring in double-figures and the pressure defense working effectively, Clayton State opened Peach Belt play in fine fashion with a 97-59 rout over Georgia Southwestern at the Storm Dome. The victory was the fifth straight for Clayton State, which improves to 11-1 and equals the best start to a season in program history.
“We were ready to play tonight, and it was great to start conference play off on the winning track,” said Clayton State head coach Dennis Cox. “We didn’t know much about them (Georgia Southwestern), so we went with the press and they weren’t too familiar with it.”
It was the press that dictated the game for the Lakers, and that was evident in the first half. Clinging to a 20-17 lead with 10 minutes remaining, Clayton State broke the game wide open with an insurmountable 23-0 run over the next seven minutes. The Lakers converted six Hurricane turnovers into points with their pressure defense.
Lynette Jackson started the scoring fury with consecutive lay-ups, followed by Alecia Humphrey converting two straight baskets in the paint. Marie St. Fort then drained a 3-point basket in transition, extending the Clayton State lead to 33-17 with 7:17 remaining.
The Lakers weren’t finished. Sharon Wiles and Kim Lloyd both converted Georgia Southwestern turnovers into easy baskets and Wiles driving lay-up in transition gave Clayton State a commanding 43-17 lead with 3:16 remaining.
“That’s the great thing about the press,” Cox said. “Once we got it turned up, that was as good as our press has looked this season. It was a feeding frenzy out there and we turned it up a notch during that spurt.”
Clayton State’s largest lead of the second half was 45 points, 96-51 on Basia Bukowska’s 3-point basket with 3:10 remaining in the game.
Jackson paced Clayton State with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, while her post partner Humphrey scored 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field. Wiles scored 14 points for the Lakers, while St. Fort and Roberta Phillips each added 10 points. For the game, Clayton State shot 56 percent from the field, and the Lakers’ pressure defense forced 33 Georgia Southwestern turnovers.
For Georgia Southwestern (2-6, 0-1), Krystal Thomas scored 15 points and Brittany Reynolds scored 11 points.
Clayton State is home on Saturday, playing host to Francis Marion at 2 p.m. at the Athletics and Fitness Center. |
.jpg)
women’s basketball team
played a Peach Belt Conference newcomer for the first time, it was
defeated soundly by North Georgia.