Columbus , GA – The #1 ranked and undefeated Clayton State women's basketball team took its first step in capturing its fourth Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship Thursday, defeating Armstrong 76-44 at Columbus State's Frank G. Lumpkin Center.
All-Peach Belt Conference performer Kayla Mobley sparked the Laker victory, tying her career best with 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Mobley poured in 18 points in the first half.
"We got off to a little bit of a sluggish start," said head coach Dennis Cox. "I give Armstrong a lot of credit for that though. They entered the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the league. We picked it up midway through the first half, and I thought our post players performed really well tonight"
Leading 10-8 with 13:15 remaining in the first half, the Lakers went on a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to take control of the game. Peach Belt Player of the Year Drameka Griggs ignited the run with a steal and layup and capped the stretch with a jumper to give the squad a 25-11 lead.
The Lakers extended their lead even further over the last two minutes of the first half. Mobley hit two free throws to give the squad a 17-point lead followed by All-Peach Belt performer Shacamra Jackson making a basket in the paint to give the team a 36-17 advantage.
After both teams exchanged baskets, the Lakers closed the half with a layup by Mobley to take a 38-19 lead at intermission.
In the second half, the Lakers opened with a 14-4 run and never looked back. A three-point play Griggs off a steal gave the team an insurmountable 52-23 advantage with 15:29 remaining. The squad led by 40 points, 76-36, on a three-point play by Shannon Smith.
With the win, the Lakers improve to 27-0 overall and advance to the PBC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The Lakers will play USC Aiken at 4 p.m. at Columbus State with the winner moving on the Sunday's championship. Armstrong's season ends with a 13-14 record.
Clayton State's defense shined in the win, holding Armstrong to 24 percent (15-of-62) for the game, while hitting 44 percent (27-of-62) from the floor.
Behind Mobley's 22 points, Griggs finished with 17 points, eight steals and six rebounds. Smith finished 12 points and six boards. Jackson chipped in nine points to go along with eight rebounds.
Forward Tori Klewicki-Mcnutt led the Pirates with nine points, while Mauri Wells pulled a game-high 12 rebounds.
