MORROW, Ga. – Needing a win to maintain a share of the Peach Belt Conference West Division lead, Clayton State (18-4, 12-3 PBC) battled back from an early deficit at USC Aiken (9-15, 4-11 PBC) to earn a 78-64 victory in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Wednesday, February 10.
 
Redshirt-junior guard Tweety Hawkins (Madison, Ga.) and senior forward Shay Upshaw (Tampa, Fla.) each finished with 15 points and added three and four rebounds, respectively, in 23 minutes of action to lead the Lakers. They would be joined in double figures by senior guard Kenisha Jones-Barrett (Winter Haven, Fla.) with 13 points, four boards and three steals.
 
Redshirt-junior center Andrea Benford (Madison, Ga.) nearly had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds to go along with four steals in just 24 minutes of work and senior center DaQuenna Moore (Plantersville, S.C.) finished with seven points, four caroms and a pair blocks. Junior guard Dejoun Dennard (Seffner, Fla.) chipped in with eight points on the night.
 
The first quarter would consist of a pair of runs as the Pacers posted a 10-3 stretch for a seven point lead by the 4:06 mark before the Lakers responded with seven of the next 10 points to close the period down 13-10. USCA would score the first six points of the second quarter but things would change dramatically from there.
 
Over the next 2:35, Clayton State would produce a 17-2 run that took them from down six to up 27-19 with 3:56 left in the half. During that blitz, the Lakers drained a pair of three pointers and got four points each from Benford and Johnson. The Pacers would bounce back with four points from Kassy Johannsen to cut it to six but would find themselves trailing 31-23 at the break as that mini run was easily matched down the stretch.
 
The Lakers would continue their hot shooting into the second half as they extended those four points at the end of the first half into a 9-0 run with the first five points of the third. With the lead eventually extended to 38-25 by the 6:51 mark, the Pacers would put together a 7-0 run to cut it six at 38-32.
 
A Hawkins straight away three would push it to a nine point lead but USC Aiken would come right back to pull within 41-37 by the 2:57 mark. From there, the lead would fluctuate between four and nine points as the teams headed to the fourth with Clayton State leading 51-47.
 
Five straight points from the Lakers to start the frame once again pushed it back to a nine point margin but Aiken would not go away. They would eventually get it down to four points, 56-52, before an 8-2 stretch made it a 10 point margin with 4:36 to play.
 
A scrappy Pacers squad would continue to stay within striking distance as they got to within six points on a pair of occasions the last coming at 70-64 with two minutes to play. That would be as close as they would get, however, as Clayton State used a combination of solid foul shooting and strong defense to salt away the 78-64 victory.
 
Stephanie Ball led the way for USCA with 15 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes while Mariah Durian finished with 15 points, three boards and three assists. Alexis Ware added eight points and Jasmine Coach notched a team-high eight rebounds. Aubrey Lukacsko chipped in with seven points and four rebounds and Kate Duff produced six points, five boards and a game-high seven assists in 22 minutes of action.
 
The Lakers are right back in action this weekend when they continue a three-game road swing with a trip to Montevallo on Saturday, February 13. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. (EST) in Montevallo, Alabama.
 
NOTES
Clayton State improves to 19-12 all-time against USC Aiken, dating back to the first meeting on November 20, 1995 … the win snaps a two game losing streak to the Pacers, both coming during the 2014-15 season.