MORROW, Ga. – Taking on a perennially tough Peach Belt Conference foe, Clayton State (7-7, 2-3 PBC) could not fend off Augusta (11-3, 4-2 PBC) as they fell 83-73 in an NCAA Division II men's basketball game on Monday, January 9.
 
Redshirt-senior forward Alfonso Davis (Bronx, N.Y.) led the way for the Lakers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while junior guard Dantez Bennamon (Goose Creek, S.C.) finished with 11 points, four boards and three assists.
 
Freshman guard Christoff Nairn (Boynton Beach, Fla.) scored a career-high 12 points and senior guard Maurice White (Baltimore, Md.) added nine points. Graduate forward Jaumonee Byrd (Douglasville, Ga.) chipped in with seven points and seven caroms and sophomore guard Jaylen Taylor (Hephzibah, Ga.) notched seven points.
 
Augusta blitzed the Lakers over the first 2:14 as they opened with a 12-2 run before seeing their lead narrowed to 19-13 by the 13:18 mark. That margin would eventually shrink to four, 24-20, two and a half minutes later but not for long.
 
A 10-3 run would put Augusta up 34-23 with 5:42 to play but the Lakers would not go away as they rallied to within 40-34 behind an 11-6 stretch. At that point the Jaguars would respond by closing the half by scoring eight of the final 12 points for a 48-38 halftime lead.
 
The teams would be evenly matched over the first five-plus minutes as each scored 10 points to make it 58-48. From there, the Lakers would get back into the game with a 6-2 mini run that cut it to 60-54 at the 12:36 mark and eventually closed all the way to 63-62 little more than three minutes later.
 
Keshun Sherrill then drained a three and a long jumper to help fuel a 9-2 run that gave the Jaguars a 72-64 lead with 5:59 to play. From there, Clayton State would get within six on a pair of occasions but could not close the gap as Augusta wrapped up the 83-73 victory.
 
Sherrill lit it up for 28 points, going 10-of-11 from the line, and adding four assists, two steals and three rebounds while Deane Williams had 11 rebounds, seven points and three blocks. Tamyrik Fields finished with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Tyvez Monroe added 15 points on five three-pointers to round out the top performers.
 
The Lakers hit the road once again as they head to Armstrong State on Saturday, January 14. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's game in Savannah, Georgia.