Clayton State wins sloppy 71-58 decision over visiting Georgia Southwestern
Ragin records double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as Lakers improve to 15-7 and 10-5 in Peach Belt

MORROW, Ga. – February 13, 2008 – This time of the year, style points don’t matter in women’s college basketball. Just winning any way possible gets it done.

The Clayton State Lakers got it done on Thursday with a sloppy 71-58 victory over visiting Georgia Southwestern at the Athletics and Fitness Center. The victory was Clayton State’s fourth in its last five games and the Lakers improve to 15-7 overall and 10-5 in the Peach Belt. Clayton State is now in a three-way tie for second in the Peach Belt with Columbus State and Augusta State.

Georgia Southwestern came into Wednesday’s game having won only one game all season, but the Lady Hurricanes didn’t look like that kind of team on the floor. Georgia Southwestern kept the game close for the better part of the first 13 minutes of the game, tying the score twice, including 19-19 with 7:57 remaining on a lay-up by Brittany Reynolds.

However, Clayton State stretched the lead with a 13-2 run over the next six minutes. Marie St. Fort started the rally with a 3-point basket, followed by consecutive lay-ups by Arlanderia Whitlock and Dominique Jennings. St. Fort’s jump shot at the 1:52 mark gave the Lakers a 32-21 lead, and they took a nine-point lead at halftime.

Georgia Southwestern shot 50 percent (15-for-30) from the field in the second half to keep the game close. The Lady Hurricanes’ cut the Laker lead to seven points on a Whitney Dean lay-up with 18:03 remaining, and then eight points (40-32) on a 3-point basket by Ivana Udovalieva at the 14:25 mark.

But Clayton State responded with a 13-4 run over the next four minutes. Roberta Phillips and St. Fort both nailed jump shots and another jumper by Shantel Ragin increased the Laker lead to 50-34 with 11:03 remaining. A St. Fort 3-point basket then gave Clayton State a 53-36 lead with 10:16 remaining.

The Lakers’ largest lead of the game was 20 points, 67-47 on free throw by Dominique Jennings with 4:02 remaining.

St. Fort paced Clayton State with 15 points, while Ragin recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jennings scored 13 points and Phillips and Whitlock each added 10 points. Clayton State forced 29 Georgia Southwestern turnovers.

Udovalieva scored 13 points and Reynolds scored 12 points for Georgia Southwestern (1-21, 0-15).

Clayton State returns to action on Monday with a 5:30 p.m. showdown at in-state rival Armstrong Atlantic.