Savannah, GA – The 7th-ranked Clayton State women's basketball team opened the New Year with a bang Thursday defeating Armstrong 77-67 in Peach Belt Conference action in Savannah, GA.
The senior duo of guard Bena Hanyard and forward Shacamra Jackson led the attack with each player, posting a double-double. Hanyard finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Jackson finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Leading 60-50 with 5:25 left in the contest, the Lakers held off a late Armstrong run to capture the victory. The Pirates cut the deficit to 66-63 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Carlson with less than two minutes remaining, but Clayton State went on an 11-4 run to seal the victory. Center Andrea Benford had a basket and a free throw, while Hanyard drained eight free throws to close the game.
With the win, the Lakers improve to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in Peach Belt Conference play. Armstrong drops to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in the league. The Lakers will continue Peach Belt action on Saturday, traveling to Flagler in St. Augustine, FL. Tipoff for Saturday's game is 1:30 p.m.
Clayton State led from the opening tip and took a 10-point advantage, five minutes into the game on a jumper by Benford. The Lakers maintained their double-digit advantage until midway through the half with the Pirates, cutting the lead to six points, 23-17, on a steal and layup by Bryonna Davis.
The Lakers answered though and pushed their lead 11 points, 30-19, on a free throw by guard Kayla Pryce with 3:27 remaining until half. After both teams swapped baskets, Clayton State took a 34-25 advantage at intermission.
In the second half, Clayton State opened with an 8-2 run and took a 15-point lead, 42-27, at the 17-minute mark. Jackson opened the run for the squad and had two baskets, while Hanyard capped the run and also had two scores.
The Lakers maintained their double-digit over the next nine minutes until two Armstrong free throws and a jumper by Carlson cut the lead seven points, 50-43. Clayton State's Jackson came right back though with a 3-pointer to re-extend the Laker lead to 10 points with 8:22 left in the contest.
Behind Hanyard and Jackson, Benford finished with 11 points and six rebounds, while Pryce chipped in eight points and had four assists.
For Armstrong, Davis finished with 18 points, followed by Carlson with 17 points.
The Laker defense held Armstrong to 33 percent (24-of-73) shooting from the floor, while Clayton State hit 47 percent (27-of-57). Clayton State outrebounded the Pirates 34-25 and committed 16 turnovers compared to 14 for Armstrong.
