DAHLONEGA, Ga. – In what lined up as a heavyweight fight right from the start, Clayton State (14-3, 6-2 PBC) answered the final bell and pulled off the upset in the final seconds as they downed No. 20/23 North Georgia (13-4, 5-3 PBC) by a 63-62 score in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Wednesday, January 18.
 
With North Georgia holding a 60-57 lead with two minutes to play, Clayton State made their move with junior guard Jimecheia Banks (Phenix, City, Ala.) hitting a jumper to cut it to one. Redshirt-senior guard Tierra Johnson (Edison, N.J.) then forced a turnover and took it the other way for the go-ahead layup with 29 seconds left.
 
UNG answered right back with a Deana Blankinship layup at the other end to reclaim the lead, 62-61, with 17 seconds on the clock but it would be the Lakers that would come through in the clutch. Banks drove the ball just to the right of the lane and pulled up to knock down a 12-footer for a 63-62 lead with 14 seconds left.
 
A dagger to be sure, it would still take another tremendous defensive stand at the other end to secure the upset. The Nighthawks raced down the court and fired off a three-pointer from the right side that clanged off the rim before UNG recovered the carom on the weak side. They quickly lofted a jumper from a couple feet out in the final seconds that came within inches of being a game winner before falling off and giving Clayton State their third win over a ranked foe this year.
 
Johnson led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals while Banks was the only other Laker in double-digits with 11 points. Junior forward Abreyln Rackley (St. Louis, Mo.) wasn't far off as she just missed a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes.
 
Redshirt-senior guard Tweety Hawkins (Madison, Ga.) added eight points and redshirt-senior forward Ashley Cunningham (Douglasville, Ga.) anchored the defense. She posted career-highs of four blocks and four steals to go along with six boards to round out the top performers.
 
Following an opening three-pointer by the Nighthawks, Clayton State erupted for 10 straight points to take a 10-3 lead by the 6:50 mark of the first quarter. UNG would answer by scoring nine straight to retake the lead at 12-10 in a span of 3:20.
 
That stretch then sent the teams into three ties and a pair of lead changes, leaving North Georgia with a 20-19 advantage with 8:03 left in the half. At that point UNG notched an 8-3 run to extend to a 28-22 margin before the Lakers stemmed the tide before heading to the breakdown 34-30.
 
The Nighthawks would push out to a 46-38 lead over the first 7:27 of the third quarter before Clayton State rallied to within 46-43 by the 1:54 mark. They would close the frame down just three and pull to within two at 49-47 with 8:19 left in the game.
 
Down 54-49 minutes later, the Lakers would score the next six points to overtake UNG for a 55-54 lead at the 4:41. The Nighthawks Julie McKie then made a pair of layups to flip the script and turn that one point deficit into a 58-55 advantage with just over four minutes to play. That margin would be 60-57 two minutes later, setting the stage for a thrilling upset victory.
 
McKie finished with a team-high 13 points to lead North Georgia while Kelsey Hutchins came away with 12 points and seven boards in 29 minutes. Jordan Livesay just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds and Blankinship added seven points and eight caroms. Amber Skidgel had eight points, five boards and a pair of steals and Mackenzie Darrah chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.
 
The Lakers continue a stretch against nationally ranked opponents as they host No. 15/16 Columbus State on Saturday, January 21. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. at The Loch.
 
NOTES
Clayton State has defeated two other nationally ranked opponents, downing Anderson (11/11) by an 84-73 score in the season opener and No. 11/12 Union (11/26) by a 98-90 margin in overtime.