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However, their quest hit a bump in the road on Saturday as the Lakers dropped a 76-74 decision at in-state Peach Belt rival North Georgia. The defeat drops 19th-ranked Clayton State to 20-5 overall and 10-4 in the Peach Belt. Clayton State entered the game having won four of its last five games.
The Lakers had to play catch-up for the whole first half and much of the second half before Clayton State took its first lead since the early moments of the game. Sharon Wiles’ lay-up off an entry pass from Shantel Ragin gave the Lakers a 50-48 lead with 9:52 remaining. Clayton State then increased its lead to five points twice, including another Wiles lay-up to make the score 61-56 with 4:39 remaining.
That’s when North Georgia, spearheaded by guard Syretha Marble, went on a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead. Rachael Jolley’s 3-point basket gave the Lady Saints a 65-61 lead with 2:53 remaining.
The Lakers battled back to tie the game at 67-67 with 42 seconds when North Georgia made a key play in the final minute. Marble was fouled and put on the line for two shots. She made the first free throw, but missed the second, only to have teammate Kourtney Singleton grab the offensive rebound and nail the put-back to give the Lady Saints a 70-67 lead with 39 seconds remaining.
Clayton State cut the North Georgia lead to three points 74-71 on a 3-point basket by Nikkisha Pritchett with five seconds remaining. But Megan Huffman sealed it for North Georgia with two free throws with four seconds remaining.
Pritchett paced the Lakers with 17 points off the bench with three 3-point baskets, while Marie St. Fort scored 13 points off the bench. Ragin added nine points for Clayton State. The Clayton State bench produced 46 points.
Marble recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds for North Georgia (12-12, 7-7 Peach Belt), while Porsha White scored 18 points. Singleton scored 14 points off the bench for the Lady Saints, and Huffman added 11 points. North Georgia shot 51 percent from the field for the game, including 50 percent from 3-point range. The Lady Saints shot 80 percent from 3-point range in the first half.
Clayton State plays the first of its final two regular season home
games on Wednesday with a key 5:30 p.m. Peach Belt South Division
showdown against Augusta State at the Athletics and Fitness Center. |
team aimed to close
out the road portion of the 2006-07 regular season on a winning note
and tighten its grip on its quest for the Peach Belt Conference
championship.