2007-08 Media Guide
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Clayton State women pull away for 74-61 victory at Lenoir-Rhyne
St. Fort scores 16 points as 23rd-ranked Lakers improve to 2-1 overall

HICKORY, N.C. – November 22, 2008 – With the 2008-09 season still young, every non-conference victory is important for the Clayton State Laker women’s basketball team, especially within the Southeast Region of Division II.

The Lakers picked up a very important victory on Saturday in the Southeast Region as they used a late rally to pull off a 74-61 victory at Lenoir-Rhyne. The victory is the second straight for 23rd-ranked Clayton State, which improves to 2-1 overall.

Clayton State had to overcome a 13-4 early deficit as Lenoir-Rhyne made seven of its first 12 shots from the field. The Lakers took their first lead of the game 20-19 at the 7:57 mark on a jump shot by Marie St. Fort. The lead changed hands four times down the stretch before Dominique Jennings’ free throw with 52 seconds remaining gave the Lakers a 34-33 halftime lead.

There were three ties and two more lead changes in the second half before Clayton State made its move. Up 59-56 with 4:47 remaining, the Lakers finished the game on a 15-5 run. Lesheria Stevens triggered an 11-0 Clayton State run with a lay-up at the 3:52 mark. Two free throws by St. Fort gave the Lakers a 67-56 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Stevens’ lay-up with 18 seconds remaining gave Clayton State its largest lead 72-58.

St. Fort paced Clayton State with 16 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the free throw line and grabbed nine rebounds. Lisa Jackson scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Stevens scored 12 points and Jennings scored 10 points off the bench. Shanrika Hardeman grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lakers.

Clayton State shot 74 percent (25-for-34) from the free throw line.

For Lenoir-Rhyne (2-1), Amber Holt paced all scorers with 19 points, while Jami Safrit scored 13 points.

Clayton State plays host to Wingate in its home opener on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. It will be a rematch of last season’s NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship.

Cox reaches milestone as Clayton State women down Nova Southeastern 73-63
Freshman Woodard paces 23^rd-ranked Lakers with 17 points

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - November 16, 2008 – The milestone moment finally arrived for Clayton State head women’s basketball coach Dennis Cox.

With three players scoring in double-figures, the 23^rd-ranked Lakers overcame Saturday’s season-opening defeat against Barry and rebounded with a satisfying 73-63 victory over Nova Southeastern on Sunday in the Marriot Tip-Off Classic. Not only does Clayton State even its early-season record at 1-1, but the victory was 100^th for Cox starting his fifth season at Clayton State.

Already the winningest head coach at Clayton State, Cox became the first ever head coach in the history of Laker women’s basketball to reach the 100-victory milestone for his career. He is now an impressive 100-31 at Clayton State.

Unlike Saturday’s defeat against Barry, the Lakers turned in a much-improved offensive performance against Nova Southeastern, a team coming off a 24-7 mark last season with an NCAA Division II National Tournament berth and the preseason favorite to win the Sunshine State Conference.

Clayton State shot 39 percent both from the field and from 3-point range and a solid 71 percent from the free throw line. The Lakers needed a fast start this game and they got it. Clayton State jumped out to an early 20-7 lead behind two 3-point baskets by Nikkisha Pritchett and one each by Marie St. Fort and Dominique Jennings.

Brittany Hall’s free throw with 8:36 remaining gave the Lakers their largest lead of the first half, 29-13.

However, Nova Southeastern battled back. Behind 6-foot-5 center Stephanie Sarosi, the Sharks went on a 15-2 run as Sarosi scored nine points during the rally. Stevie Kamp’s free throw with 41 seconds remaining pulled Nova Southeastern to within three points, 31-28. But Clayton State answered as Pritchett drained a 3-point basket with three seconds remaining and the Lakers held a six-point lead at halftime.

The Sharks and Sarosi did not let up early in the second half. After Clayton State twice went up by eight points, Nova Southeastern rallied, twice trimming the lead to one point. A three-point basket by Lauren Marshall with 12:25 remaining left the Laker lead 45-44.

That’s when Clayton State made its move. Hall responded with a 3-point basket, sparking a 17-4 Laker run over the next four minutes. A 3-point basket by Tanisha Woodard and a lay-up by Lesheria Stevens gave the Lakers a 58-47 lead with 10:06 remaining. Lisa Jackson followed with a lay-up at the 8:20 mark, extending the Clayton State lead to 62-48.

The Lakers’ largest of the second half was 15 points, 65-50 with 6:02 remaining. Nova Southeastern never got closer than nine points down the stretch.

Woodard, only a freshman, paced Clayton State with 17 points and was selected to the All-Tournament team. After managing only one point against Barry, St. Fort came up strong with 15 points, and Pritchett scored 13 points.

Sarosi recorded a double-double with 29 points and 14 rebounds for Nova Southeastern (0-2).