Morrow, GA – Behind a career high 26 points from Laker guard Tiayra Green, the Clayton State women's basketball team won its fifth straight game on Saturday defeating Lander 87-75 at the Athletics Center.
Clayton State led by double-digits for most of the second half but did have to hold off a late Lander rally in the victory. After leading by as many as 20 points with less than 12 minutes remaining, the Bearcats cut the deficit to six points, 76-70, with 3:05 left in the contest.
The Lakers answered though with six unanswered points in under a minute to regain control of the game. Forward Shamcara Jackson, Green and guard Bena Hanyard had points during the mini-run. Two free throws by Hanyard gave the Lakers an 82-70 lead with 2:21 remaining.
Lander made one final push and cut it to nine, 82-73, on a 3-point play by guard Ty'hesa Reynolds but would come no closer. The Lakers rattled off five straight points to seal the victory.
"A good win against a good opponent," said head coach Dennis Cox. "We knew Lander wouldn't go away, and as always, it was a battle until the end. Give Coach (Kevin) Pederson and their kids credit as they played hard. I was sorry to see the injury toward the end of the game, but I was happy to hear that she is going to be okay and wasn't seriously hurt. I'm proud of our kids for hanging in there."
The game was delayed for approximately 25 minutes late in the second half as Bearcat guard Kayla West suffered a head injury after players from both sides got tangled up on a rebound in the paint. She was transported to a local hospital by ambulance.
With the win, Clayton State improves to 13-5 overall and 8-3 in Peach Belt Conference play, while Lander drops to 8-12 and 3-8 in the league. The Lakers will return to action on Wednesday, hosting GRU Augusta in a 5:30 p.m. game.
Green provided the Laker offensive spark in the first half, scoring 19 of her 26 points. The game went back and forth in the first 14 minutes until Clayton State had a couple of runs. The Lakers took a 12-point advantage, 38-26, on a basket by Green with 4:25 until intermission.
After Lander came back to cut the deficit to four points, 38-34, with 1:36 left, the Lakers closed the half with six straight points to take a 44-34 lead at halftime. Forward Kiana Morton, Hanyard and forward Briah Woods all had baskets in the stretch.
Green's 26 points, came on 11-of-19 shooting and included a trio of 3-pointers. She also added three steals in the game. Jackson had another strong game, pouring in 21 points, hitting 9-of-12 from the floor. She also had six blocks and five rebounds.
Benford scored 13 points and pulled 11 boards, followed by Morton with 11 points. Hanyard added 10 points for the squad.
For Lander, Reynolds finished with 23 points followed by forward Portia McCray with 19 points. Forward Alexis Armstrong and guard Alyssia Watkins each chipped in 14 points. Watkins led the team with 12 boards.
Clayton State held the Bearcats to 37 percent (25-of-68) from the floor and shot a sizzling 57 percent (36-of-63). Lander held a 40-37 on the boards and committed 19 turnovers compared to 23 for the Lakers. Clayton State held a 56-34 scoring advantage in the paint and a 28-10 edge in fast break points.
