Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--Clayton State (11-1, 5-0 PBC) scored 26 of the game's final 31 points inside of nine minutes remaining to break open a one-point game and hand USC Aiken (5-6, 1-3 PBC) a 79-57 loss in women's Peach Belt Conference basketball action on Saturday evening at "The Courthouse". The win was the ninth-straight for the Lady Lakers while the Lady Pacers extend their home losing streak to three.
Trailing 51-43 with 10:50 to play in the game, USC Aiken used a 9-2 run fueled by a pair of
Meredith Legg three-pointers to pull within a single point at 53-52 with 8:38 on the clock. Legg knocked down 3-of-7 from long range for a team-high 15 points and six rebounds. She was also 4-of-4 at the stripe to extend her consecutive free throws made streak to 30.
Over the past three games (versus Armstrong Atlantic State, Columbus State, and Clayton State) the freshman from Huntersville, N.C. is averaging 16.3 ppg.
After the Lady Pacers rebounded a missed shot by Clayton State, Legg drained a jumper from the elbow to seemingly put USCA back in front for the first time since halftime, but she was called for an offensive foul instead. Sharon Wiles drilled a bucket coming back the other way at 8:38, igniting the decisive 26-5 run to close out game.
The Lady Pacers opened the game on a 6-0 run capped by
Megan Starnes jumper at 16:16. Clayton State missed their first nine shots from the field until Wiles' three-point play got the Lady Lakers on the board at 15:36.
Avonte Williams' bucket in the paint gave USCA its largest lead of the game at 12-3 with 14:03 remaining in the opening stanza as Clayton State was 1-of-14 from the field. Eight-straight points, however, drew the Lady Lakers within one at 12-11 just over two minutes later. USCA never lost the lead in the first half, taking a 31-30 edge at the break.
Two free throws by Shelcey Harp to begin the second half put Clayton State on top for the first time in the game 32-31. It was part of a 9-0 run to open the half as the Lady Lakers surged to a 39-31 lead on Harp's triple at the 18:02 mark.
Starnes only long-ball of the night came at 17:10 and snapped the run, pulling USCA within 39-34, marking the first field goal in almost six minutes dating back to the first half.
But Clayton State's pressure proved to be too suffocating forcing USC Aiken into 28 turnovers resulting in a 34-3 advantage in points off turnovers. After shooting 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) in the first half, the Lady Lakers caught fire in the second half connecting on 18-of-27 (66.7 percent) including 8-of-12 from downtown.
Teri Willis scored a game-high 23 points on 7-of-10 from the three-point line for Clayton State. Jasmine Patterson finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Brown added 14 off the bench. Wiles chipped in 11 points and swiped seven of the team's 15 steals.
Starnes had 11 points and five boards for the Lady Pacers, joining Legg in double figures in scoring. Williams added eight points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds to go with five assists and four steals.
Satu Leppanen chipped in eight points in just 16 minutes before fouling out.
USC Aiken won the battle of the boards 44-33, but shot 37.5 percent from the field.
USC Aiken will travel to Florence, S.C. on Wednesday, January 11 to take on Francis Marion at 5:30 PM. Clayton State returns home to host UNC Pembroke on Saturday, January 14 at 2:00 PM.
Newspaper Box Score
Clayton State vs USC Aiken
01/07/06 5:30 PM at Aiken, S.C. (The Courthouse)
CLAYTON STATE 79, USC AIKEN 57
CLAYTON STATE (11-1, 5-0 PBC)
Willis, Teri 8-12 0-1 23; Patterson, Jasmine 7-17 1-3 17; Brown, Crystal 7-9 0-0 14; Wiles, Sharon 4-9 3-3 11; Harp, Shelcey 2-10 4-6 9; Anderson, Carlie 1-4 0-0 3; Conseil, Cynthia 1-3 0-0 2; Humphrey, Alecia 0-1 0-0 0; Bukowska, Basia 0-1 0-0 0; Lloyd, Kim 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 30-69 8-13 79.
USC AIKEN (5-6, 1-3 PBC)
Legg, Meredith 4-9 4-4 15; Starnes, Megan 5-13 0-0 11; Leppanen, Satu 2-6 4-5 8; Williams, Avonte 3-8 2-3 8; Thomas, Jordon 2-6 3-6 7; Allee, Mindy 2-5 2-4 6; Chandler, Kendra 0-1 2-2 2; Jones, Keirstin 0-0 0-0 0; Bennett, Nichole 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-48 17-24 57.
Clayton State................. 30 49 - 79
USC Aiken..................... 31 26 - 57
3-point goals-Clayton State 11-28 (Willis, Teri 7-10; Patterson, Jasmine 2-5; Anderson, Carlie 1-4; Harp, Shelcey 1-5; Bukowska, Basia 0-1; Lloyd, Kim 0-3), USC Aiken 4-10 (Legg, Meredith 3-7; Starnes, Megan 1-1; Allee, Mindy 0-2). Fouled out--Clayton State-None, USC Aiken-Leppanen, Satu. Rebounds-Clayton State 33 (Patterson, Jasmine 10), USC Aiken 44 (Williams, Avonte 12). Assists-Clayton State 20 (Patterson, Jasmine 6), USC Aiken 15 (Williams, Avonte 5; Allee, Mindy 5). Total fouls-Clayton State 18, USC Aiken 15. A-955.
