AIKEN, S.C. – A massive 20-2 third quarter run sent Clayton State (10-4, 6-2 PBC) from a 16 point first half deficit to a 73-68 victory at USC Aiken (9-7, 5-5 PBC) in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Saturday, January 19.
 
Redshirt-senior guard Monica Alexander (Richmond, Va.) equaled her career-high with 19 points to go along with four boards, three steals and a pair of assists while redshirt-junior guard Madison Newby (Lawrenceville, Ga.) finished with 13 points, six caroms, four assists and three steals.
 
Senior center Aleisha Merriweather (Augusta, Ga.) added 12 points and five rebounds and senior forward Velencia Johnson (Hoover, Ala.) chipped in with 10 points, three boards, two assists and a pair of steals.
 
The Pacers would score the first five points on their way to a 7-4 margin by the 6:15 mark of the first quarter and wouldn't slow down for the rest of the frame. After seeing Clayton State bounce back to stem the tide, USCA would get six points apiece from Grace Crawford and Kwajelin Farrar as they put together a 12-3 surge to make it 19-7 by the 1:37 mark.
 
After a Laker free throw cut the deficit to 11 at the end of the first quarter a bucket by Alexander got it to single digits early in the second. With the lead cut to nine, USC Aiken responded with a 7-0 burst over the next 1:37 to extend to a commanding 26-10 lead.
 
It would continue to be a game of runs and "can you top this" as Clayton State scored nine straight points, behind four different scorers, to get it back to seven, 26-19, with 5:06 left in the half. The Pacers answered with a 7-2 stretch to rebuild their lead to 33-21 before a triple by Alexander, layup by Merriweather and jumper by Newby fueled a 7-0 run that closed the frame and made it 33-28 at the break.
 
A Crawford three would open the third quarter and ignite a mini 5-2 stretch that pushed USCA's lead to 38-30 in the first two minutes. That would not stay that way for long as the Lakers defense went into lockdown mode and created offensive opportunities over the next seven minutes.
 
During that time frame Alexander scored seven points and Newby five as Clayton State produced a devastating 20-2 run that took them from down eight to up 50-40 with 58 seconds left in the period. The Pacers would muster just one late bucket by Farrar to send it to the fourth with the margin at 50-42.
 
After seeing the lead stretched to 11 in the opening minutes of that frame, USC Aiken battled back with an 11-6 rally to close to within 59-53 by the midway point. A 4-of-4 performance at the foul line by Merriweather and clutch steal by Newby then helped propel the Lakers back to a 65-56 advantage with just under three minutes remaining.
 
The Pacers would get to a six point deficit once again, this time 65-59 with 1:56 to play, but a 5-of-6 mark at the line over the next minute and a half pushed it to 70-61. From there USCA would mount a rally to cut it to five, 70-65, behind back-to-back buckets from Farrar but would get no closer as the Lakers closed out the 73-68 victory.
 
Farrar led USC Aiken with a tremendous performance that included a game-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while Crawford notched a career-high 20 points with four boards, five assists and a pair of steals. Alex Canady ripped down 13 rebounds and dished out five assists to go with five points and Sade Johnson had nine caroms and five assists. Kyrie' Chandler rounded things out with 11 points.
 
The Lakers are right back in action as they head to Greenwood, South Carolina for a key battle with Peach Belt Conference rival Lander (11-5, 8-2 PBC). Tip-off is set for a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day time of 1:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
Alexander equaled her career-high with 19 points, matching her output against Paine on November 23, 2016 … the six consecutive wins represent the longest winning streak by the Lakers since 13 in a row during the 2015-16 campaign.