SAVANNAH, Ga. – Wrapping up their time at the Third Annual BJ Ford Classic, No. 24 Clayton State (3-1, 0-0 PBC) surrendered a late 10-0 run as Barton (2-2, 0-0 CC) pulled away for a 74-65 decision in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Saturday, November 19.
 
Redshirt-senior guard Tierra Johnson (Edison, N.J.) delivered another outstanding performance, finishing with 19 points, five boards, six steals and four assists in 35 minutes. She was joined by junior guard Monica Alexander (North Chesterfield, Va.) with 10 points and six rebounds and redshirt-senior center Andrea Benford (Madison, Ga.) with 10 points and five caroms.
 
Junior guard Jimecheia Banks (Phenix, City, Ala.) added six points and a game-high tying five assists and redshirt-senior forward Ashley Cunningham (Douglasville, Ga.) had nine points. Junior forward Abreyln Rackley (St. Louis, Mo.) chipped in with six rebounds.
 
In a matchup of teams that are used to contending in the Southeast Region, neither club would be able to fully impose their will on the other over the game's first 20 minutes. In the first quarter the teams saw the lead change hands three times before the Lakers took a 14-9 advantage with 2:55 on the clock.
 
That lead would be fleeting as the Bulldogs mounted a 9-0 run to close the frame and take an 18-14 lead entering the second. Over the first 6:15 of the quarter the teams would deadlock twice and fight through three lead changes while being separated by no more than four points.
 
Coming out of that stretch, Clayton State would hold a 27-26 lead. The Lakers trailed 26-22 before forcing that third lead change as they powered out to a three point lead, 29-26, behind a 7-0 run. They would then go on to close the half holding a 29-28 margin.
 
The beginning of the second half would closely resemble the first as the gap between the clubs would be no more than three over the first five minutes. During that time BC would regain the lead and eventually extend to a 43-38 score by the 4:07 mark.
 
At that point the tide would turn as the Lakers exploded for an 11-0 run, fueled by five points from redshirt-senior guard Tweety Hawkins (Madison, Ga.). That offensive outburst gave them a 49-43 lead with just under a minute left in the frame.
 
Entering the fourth with that same score, Barton would knock down a pair of threes as part of a 17-4 run that gave them back the lead at 60-53 with 4:58 remaining. Clayton State would finally put the brakes on that run with back-to-back layups to cut it the deficit to three with just over four minutes to play.
 
Coming out of the media timeout, Barton's Taura Jones would knock down a jumper to push to a five point difference but the Lakers had an answer. Over a span of 1:02, they would put together an 8-2 run that would flip the script and give them a 65-64 lead with 2:51 on the clock.
 
That surge, however, would be the last they had in them as the Bulldogs controlled the final minutes. They would go on a dominant 10-0 run over the last 2:40 to close out the upset 74-65 victory.
 
Angela Caraballo led Barton with 14 points, four assists and a pair of steals while Kianna Wynn had 11 points and seven boards. Dinah Neal added 10 points and three steals and Jerbria Smith chipped in with 10 points. Tatyana Jackson rounded out the top performers with six points and five assists.
 
The Lakers return to The Loch for their home opener on Wednesday, November 23 when they host Paine. Game time is set for a special 2 p.m. tip-off in advance of the holiday.