Five straight! Road-warrior Laker women keep rollin’ with 82-62 victory at Francis Marion
Jackson scores 15, Humphrey scores 14 as 23^rd-ranked Clayton State improves to 5-0

FLORENCE, S.C. --- DECEMBER 2, 2006 --- The road has been kind so far to the Clayton State Laker women’s basketball team this 2006-07 season.

Playing their fifth straight road contest to start the season, Clayton State stayed undefeated on the season with an 82-62 victory at Francis Marion on Saturday at the Smith Center. Clayton State, which is ranked 23^rd in the latest Division II Top 25 coach’s poll, is now 5-0 overall. Francis Marion is a Peach Belt Conference opponent for the Lakers, but this contest will not count in the conference standings.

“I can’t believe we scored 82 points considering our offense was out of sync much of the game.” Said Clayton State head coach Dennis Cox. “It wasn’t pretty, but I was pleased again with the defensive pressure.”

Both teams put up their defensive bests in the first half as Clayton State clinged to a 34-29 halftime lead. The Lakers shot only 35 percent from the field in the first half, but also limited Francis Marion to 30 percent shooting from the field. However, Francis Marion kept the game close by converting 12-for-17 from the free throw line.

The Patriots stayed within striking distance for the early part of the second half. Clayton State built a 12-point lead 51-39 as Basia Bukowska drained a 3-point basket with 11:28 remaining. But Francis Marion responded, trimming the Laker lead to six points on a 3-point basket by Chelsea Quinlan with 8:15 remaining.

That’s when the Lakers took control. Crystal Brown spearheaded an 18-0 Clayton State run with a 3-point play at the 7:57 mark, increasing the Laker lead to 59-50. Junior center Lynette Jackson scored seven points during the rally, including a 3-point basket at the 6:33 mark to give Clayton State a 66-50 lead.

Tamara Layton’s lay-up with 4:37 remaining gave Clayton State its largest lead 74-50 with 4:37 remaining. Francis Marion never got closer than 18 points down the stretch of the final few minutes. In the second half, Clayton State shot 57 percent from the field.

“That was too close for comfort until that moment,” Cox said. “Fortunately, our pressure got to them and we kept playing hard. We had to had that stretch and it just took a little longer today.”

Clayton State’s interior post game was very effective. Jackson paced the Lakers with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, while Alecia Humphrey scored 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. Jackson hit for 13 of her points in the second half, while Shantel Ragin added nine points for Clayton State.

For the game, the Lakers limited Francis Marion to only 31 percent shooting from the field and forced 32 Patriot turnovers, converting 38 points off those turnovers.

For Francis Marion (3-4), Quinlan and Brittany Young both scored 11 points, while Kirby Marsh and Katherine Kiefer both scored 10 points.

Clayton State hits the road again for its next contest, playing a 5:30 p.m. showdown on Wednesday at in-state rival West Georgia.