YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – In a game that featured multiple runs, a third quarter defensive battle and an offensive explosion in the fourth period Clayton State (7-5, 3-1 PBC) outlasted Young Harris (7-5, 1-3 PBC) by a 55-52 score in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Wednesday, January 8.
 
Senior forward Jhade Hayes (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) registered a career-high 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added six boards to lead the Lakers while junior forward Timi'a Swanson (Americus, Ga.) finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals in 21 minutes.
 
Junior forward Jada Francois Lubin (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) came away with eight points, seven caroms, three steals and three blocks and senior forward Kelsie Towns (Butler, Ga.) added 10 points and five rebounds to round out the top performers.
 
It would be Young Harris that came out on fire as they scored 12 of the first 14 points behind eight straight from Carly Winters, including a pair of threes to cap that opening run at the 4:39 mark. After stemming the tide though it would be Clayton State's turn and it would be another dominant performance by one player.
 
That player would be Hayes who accounted for 10 points in a 12-2 run that covered the next 4:14 and deadlocked the teams at 14-14 with 25 seconds on the clock. After she wrapped that stretch with six straight points, YHC's Niaya White drained a triple to take back the lead at 17-14 at the quarter break.
 
With the score at 19-16 just under two minutes into the second frame, senior guard Taneria Wilson (Fort Pierce, Fla.) buried a trey of her own to tie it up and the Lakers would take the lead, 22-21, on a Towns long range bomb at the 4:15 mark.
 
Following a jumper by Haylie Shope that flipped the script and gave the Mountain Lions back the lead, Clayton State would close the first half with a dominant 9-1 run over the final 3:47. That push would put them up 31-24 at the break.
 
Neither team would bring their offense with them into the third period as the teams combined for just nine points – all of which would come from Young Harris. The Mountain Lions chipped away with a bucket or a free throw every couple of minutes to eventually take back the lead at 33-31 with 2:46 to play and would not manage another point the rest of the period.
 
The fourth quarter would be the complete opposite with 43 combined points, 11 of those from Swanson. It would be an uphill battle for the Lakers as YHC tended to match them, eventually extending to a 41-35 advantage at the 7:24 mark. Six points from Swanson and another four from Francois Lubin fueled a 10-0 run in a span of 2:24 that took Clayton State from down six to holding a 45-41 lead with five minutes left.
 
After trading the next two buckets, the Mountain Lions' White powered a 9-4 stretch with seven points to retake the lead at 50-49 with 2:40 to play. It would be a nip-and-tuck affair the rest of the way as Swanson tied it and then gave the Lakers a 51-50 lead with a pair of free throws 18 seconds later.
 
Sarah Woghiren would drive to the hole for a go-ahead layup with 1:39 on the clock but it would be the last points they would see, though not for lack of opportunities. Trailing 52-51 Francois Lubin matched her at the other end and Towns and Swanson each split a pair of free throws for a 55-52 lead, the latter coming with four seconds on the clock.
 
With one last opportunity YHC advanced the ball to half court on a timeout. On the ensuing play their attempt at a game tying three was snuffed out as Francois Lubin enveloped the ball for her third block of the night to preserve the three-point victory.
 
White led the Mountain Lions with a game-high 17 points while Woghiren added 15 points, six boards, three blocks and a steal. Winters eight points in the opening minutes of the game would be all she would muster and Shope just missed a double-double with seven points and eight rebounds. Helping to fuel YHC's offense was Kalen Surles with six assists and six caroms and Bria Clemmons with seven boards, five assists and a pair of steals.
 
The Lakers are back in action when they return home to take on USC Aiken on Saturday, January 11. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m. at The Loch.
 
NOTES
The victory is the 12^th straight against Young Harris dating back to February 26, 2014 … while a commanding run, it is the fourth time in that stretch that the Lakers have won by a three point margin and sixth time of being within five points.