No. 1-ranked Clayton State women host Newberry on “Honor the Champions” Night

MORROW, Ga. – November 17, 2011 – The Clayton State Laker women's basketball team's 2011-12 home opener on Saturday promises to be a festive occasion as it will be "Honor the Champions" Night at the Athletics and Fitness Center.

The No. 1-ranked Lakers will play host to Newberry at 7:30 p.m. However, prior to tip-off will be the long-awaited ceremony in which the defending NCAA Division II National Champion Clayton State women will receive their national championship rings and raise the national championship banner into the rafters of the Athletics and Fitness Center.

The court will be cleared at 6:25 p.m., and the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with a slide show, followed by the official presentation of the championship rings and medallions to the team. The event concludes with the unveiling of the national championship banner, which will hang proudly in the middle of the court in the Athletics and Fitness Center.

When the event concludes, Clayton State and Newberry will square off, and that also promises to be a big showdown. Both teams enter the contest 2-0 overall. Clayton State opened with two victories at the Spartan Challenge Tournament at Tampa, defeating Rollins 54-51 and Tampa 55-47. Newberry opened with victories over Mount Olive (67-65) and Morris (74-56).

Guards Drameka Griggs and Genesis Kelly have been the early sparks for head coach Dennis Cox's Lakers. Griggs, a junior, leads Clayton State in scoring at 13 points a game and shoots 80 percent from the free throw line. Kelly, a senior who had a medical redshirt last season, is averaging 11 points.

Fellow guards Brittany Hall and Keona Dixon are each averaging nine points, and junior forward Kayla Mobley averages eight points a game.

Head coach Sean Page's Wolves are paced by freshman center Haylee Lepaio and junior guard Neicey Lewis. The 6-foot-2 Lepaio comes into Saturday averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds in Newberry's first two games, while Lewis, who is from Riverdale, Ga., is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds.

In addition, junior guard Kendra Brown is averaging 10 points a game.