Full Game Video 1 I Full Game Video 2 I Georgia's Own Postgame Interview

MORROW, Ga. – Clayton State (8-1, 2-0 PBC) continued to impress at the start of Peach Belt Conference action as they took down No. 15 Francis Marion (9-1, 2-0 PBC) by a 73-61 score in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Saturday, December 19. That victory ends FMU's undefeated season.
 
Redshirt-junior center Andrea Benford (Madison, Ga.) delivered again, this time with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting along with five rebounds while senior guard Kayla Pryce (Melbourne, Fla.) finished with 14 points, and two assists, steals and rebounds. Joining them was redshirt-junior guard Tierra Johnson (Edison, N.J.) with 11 points and four steals and senior center DaQuenna Moore (Plantersville, Ga.) with nine points and seven rebounds.
 
Clayton State took an early 12-6 lead over the first 5:36 before the Patriots tightened it up at 15-13 by the 1:55 mark. The Lakers would respond with a 9-4 stretch to extend to a 24-17 advantage just under two minutes into the second quarter before FMU answered with a 7-2 run of their own to cut it to 26-24 at the 7:00 mark. The final run of the half, however, would belong to Clayton State as they closed with a solid 12-3 burst to take a 38-27 lead into the break.
 
That burst would turn into a full-fledged 20-3 run as the Lakers scored the first eight points of the second half for a 46-27 margin by the 6:47 mark. Over that remaining amount of time, the Patriots would show flashes of why they were ranked No. 15 in the country as they used a 17-8 run to claw back to within 54-44 by the end of the quarter.
 
 A flash would be all it would be, however, as Clayton State scored 10 of the next 12 points to push the lead to 64-46 with 4:21 to play. FMU would narrow the gap to 70-58 with 1:47 to play and would eventually get to within nine but could not recover as the Lakers closed out the 73-61 victory.
 
Alaysia Watts led the Patriots with 19 points and eight rebounds while Briana Burgins had 12 points and four steals. Khayani Chandler added 11 points and five boards and Tete Flowers had seven points and four assists.
 
The Lakers are now done for 2015 but will return to action in the New Year when they travel to Young Harris on Saturday, January 2. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.