MORROW, Ga. – Undefeated teams rarely give up that designation without a fight, and that was certainly the case on Day 1 of the Heritage Bank Classic as No. 24 Clayton State (7-1, 0-0 PBC) came away with a 71-68 overtime decision to down Chowan (6-1, 0-0 CIAA) in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Friday, December 2.
 
With the Lakers leading 60-56 with three minutes to play in regulation, CU rallied with a 5-0 run to pull ahead 61-60 with 1:14 on the clock. It wouldn't stay that way long as redshirt-senior guard Tierra Johnson (Edison, N.J.) drove to the hole to give Clayton State a one point advantage with 49 seconds left.
 
Following a possession by each team, the Hawks would end up being fouled with three seconds to play to head to the line with a chance to take the lead. After watching the first attempt bounce off the rim, Chowan was able to convert on the second to tie it at 62-62 and force overtime after the Lakers were unable to get a shot off at the other end.  
 
In that extra session it would be the Hawks that would surge ahead with back-to-back baskets in the opening minute for a 66-62 lead. The Lakers would answer with consecutive layups to tie it up before the teams exchanged buckets to deadlock again, this time at 68-68 with 2:03 left. Just under a minute later, Clayton State would retake the lead as junior guard Monica Alexander (Richmond, Va.) converted one attempt after notching a steal and drawing the foul.
 
That 69-68 lead would withstand three CU possessions, none of which resulted in a shot. With 10 seconds left redshirt-senior guard Tweety Hawkins (Madison, Ga.) was fouled and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws that extended the lead to 71-68. On the ensuing possession, the Hawks desperation heave was off the mark, and while they recovered the rebound, their last attempt was from well inside the three-point arc and clanged off the side of the rim.
 
Johnson led the way for the Lakers with 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals while junior forward Abreyln Rackley (St. Louis, Mo.) ripped a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards.
 
They were joined by redshirt-senior center Andrea Benford (Madison, Ga.) with 15 points and six caroms and Hawkins with 15 points, five assists and four steals. Senior center Rayven Thomas (North Las Vegas, Nev.) added nine boards and redshirt-senior forward Ashley Cunningham (Douglasville, Ga.) added eight rebounds.
 
After deadlocking at 4-4 just 3:34 in, the Lakers powered out to a 16-8 advantage with 2:09 left in the opening quarter behind a 12-4 run. That lead would eventually grow to 24-13 by the 6:49 mark of the second quarter before CU made a move to recover.
 
They would score the next six points over a span of 1:28 to cut it to 24-19 midway through the frame. Clayton State would push the lead back up to 30-21 but the Hawks would not go away, eventually closing the half with an 8-3 stretch to make it 33-29 at the break.
 
It would continue to be a tight game at the start of the second half as the Lakers pulled ahead 36-31 with 8:10 on the clock. From that point the teams would be separated by no more than four points over the next 4:12 until Clayton State took a 46-41 lead on a Benford layup.
 
That margin would stretch to 49-43 before an 11-0 run by Chowan gave them back the lead at 54-49 with 6:38 left. Undeterred, the Lakers rallied to tie it at 54-54 with a 5-0 burst and eventually took a 60-56 lead that set the stage for a tremendous finish.
 
Dhyamond Crenshaw produced a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds to highlight the Hawk's top performances while Jordan Payne finished with eight points, six assists and 13 rebounds. Of the latter, 10 came off of the offensive glass. Mariah Coker added 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals to round out the top performers.
 
The Lakers wrap up the 2016 Heritage Bank Classic tomorrow when they take on Shaw (2-5, 0-0 CIAA). Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. at The Loch following the first game of the day between Chowan (6-1, 0-0 CIAA) and Armstrong State (4-4, 0-0 PBC).
 
NOTES
The 2016 edition marks the 16^th consecutive year that Heritage Bank has sponsored a Clayton State women's basketball tournament … in the first game of the day, Armstrong State defeated Shaw 74-65.