DAHLONEGA, Ga. – After being tied at the half, Clayton State (18-5, 16-3 PBC) took complete control with a 23-6 second half run as they demolished North Georgia (10-15, 8-11 PBC) by an 89-63 score in an NCAA Division II men's basketball game on Wednesday, February 14. The game was the final one in the 57-year history of Memorial Hall.
 
Senior guard Nathan Powell (Orlando, Fla.) did it all, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals while junior forward Jaylen Taylor (Hephzibah, Ga.) led all scorers with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds.
 
Sophomore guard Kyle Kincey (Tallahassee, Fla.) and senior guard Dantez Bennamon (Goose Creek, S.C.) added 15 and 14 points, respectively, and redshirt-junior forward JaCarl Owens (Orlando, Fla.) had eight points and four caroms.
 
Wasting no time, North Georgia got things going with a pair of electric plays in the first minute and a half to spark an early 7-2 advantage. After taking that shot to the chin, Clayton State recovered with a 14-2 surge as Taylor delivered three straight buckets to flip the script at 16-9 by the 13:02 mark.
 
It would continue to be a game of runs, however, as the Nighthawks came back with a 13-4 burst that gave them a 22-20 lead with 5:52 left in the half. From there, the Lakers would score eight of the next 14 points to rally and knot the score at 28-28 at the break.
 
Things would change greatly and quickly out of the half as Clayton State used a 15-8 run to pull ahead 43-36 by the 14:48 mark. UNG would get to within five points on a pair of occasions, the last at 45-40 just over a minute later, before the wheels came off.
 
Over the next four minutes North Georgia would be held scoreless as the Lakers pounded out 14 straight points as part of a massive 23-6 run that culminated with 5:56 on the clock. That outburst left them with an insurmountable 73-46 lead that would soon become the final score of 89-63.
 
Carrod Watson led the Nighthawks with 11 points, seven boards and three steals while Lanre Olatunji finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Ebo Smith added 10 points and Ephraim Tshimanga chipped in with six points, three assists and four caroms. Shaquan Cantrell rounded things out with eight points.
 
With the win, Clayton State has tied the second longest winning streak in program history, equaling the mark the 2008-09 team set from November 20, 2008 through January 3, 2009. The all-time program record is 17 straight to start the 2006-07 season, occurring from November 21, 2006 through January 20, 2007.
 
The Lakers will be hard pressed to continue that streak as they return to home for their biggest game of the season as they host Peach Belt Conference leading No. 18/24 UNC Pembroke (21-4, 17-2 PBC) on Homecoming. A battle for first place, game time is set for 5:30 p.m. at The Loch.
 
NOTES
Not only was the game the final one for Clayton State at Memorial Hall, it was the last game ever in the building that has existed since 1960 … all-time the Lakers are 11-9 at Memorial dating to the first game on February 16, 1991, the first season in program history … they also close the building with six straight wins, a rare feat … UNG will open the multi-million dollar Convocation Center in their final regular season games later this month … UNCP enters first place showdown ranked No. 18 in the D2SIDA Poll and No. 24 in the NABC Coaches Poll.