FORT VALLEY, Ga. – Trailing at the half, Clayton State (3-4, 0-1 PBC) used a massive 37-8 run at the beginning of the second half to lock up a 73-54 victory at Fort Valley State (0-12, 0-4 SIAC) in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Wednesday, December 13.
 
Junior forward Abreyln Rackley (St. Louis, Mo.) led the charge with a near double-double of 15 points and eight rebounds to go with three steals while senior guard Mercedes Jenkins (Jonesboro, Ga.) just missed one of her own with 10 points and a career-best nine boards.
 
They were joined by junior center Aleisha Merriweather (Augusta, Ga.) with 10 points and eight caroms and junior forward Velencia Johnson (Hoover, Ala.) with 12 points. Freshman guard Dalania Clardy (Riverdale, Ga.) added career-highs of 10 points and five boards while junior guard Aysia Grimsley (Marietta, Ga.) rounded things out with seven points.
 
It would take more than three minutes before either team lifted the lid off the bucket before Rackley got the Lakers on the board at the 6:40 mark. The lead would then change hands nine times over the next six-plus minutes before FVSU closed the frame with a narrow 15-14 advantage.
 
The bucket that led to that last lead change sparked an impressive 15-4 run over a span of 6:48 that left the Wildcats with 28-19 lead with 3:31 left in the second. A 7-4 stretch by Clayton State then cut the deficit to 32-26 with 17 seconds to go before a pair of free throws made it 34-26 at the break.
 
In the unusual position of being down at the half, the Lakers took immediate steps to rectify the situation. They quickly launched a 20-6 run that left flipped the script and gave them a 46-40 lead by the 3:51 mark. That would be just the tip of the iceberg as that run quickly grew to a 37-8 stretch and a commanding 63-42 lead with 6:23 to play in the fourth. That haymaker would be all they would need as they went on to salt away the 73-54 victory.
 
Alicia Franklin paced FVSU with a game-high 19 points with four steals and four rebounds while Nola Carter notched a double-double with 12 points, 11 caroms, four assists and a pair of steals. Both players played all 40 minutes as only seven Wildcats saw the floor. Amiah Height rounded things out with eight points and five boards.
 
The Lakers are back in action this weekend when they travel to USC Aiken on Saturday, December 16. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. in Aiken, South Carolina.