Boxscore MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Career-best performances from a pair of players, a first half run and second half defense fueled a 66-54 Clayton State (13-9, 9-5 PBC) victory at Georgia College (5-17, 2-12 PBC) in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Saturday, February 8.
 
One of those players powering that performance was redshirt-senior guard Christal Williams (Riverdale, Ga.) with a career-high 18 points, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go with four steals, three rebounds and a pair of assists. Redshirt-senior forward Jhade Hayes (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) added her own personal best performance with 14 boards along with 10 points in 32 minutes.
 
While not a career-high like her teammates, senior guard Taneria Wilson (Fort Pierce, Fla.) led the way with 23 points, three assists and two steals and was joined by junior forward Jada Francois Lubin (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) with eight points, four caroms and two assists.
 
Over the first six-plus minutes the teams would stay within five points of each other before Clayton State held a narrow 9-6 lead at the 3:38 mark. From there, however, the Lakers took control as they scored seven of the final nine points to take a 16-8 lead at the quarter break.
 
That would grow to an overall run of 20-7 as Christal Williams came away with five points and Wilson four to extend to a 16 point spread at 29-13 with 3:53 left in the half. GC would battle back to within 10 at 29-16 as Harper Vick fueled a 6-0 burst with four points but it would not last as Clayton State closed the opening frame with a 36-21 lead.
 
The Bobcats would rebound once again, however, as they cut the deficit to 12 points twice over the first 5:17 of the third quarter, the last of those getting them to within 46-34. With that margin at 50-37 with just over a minute left in the frame, Georgia College got five straight points from Kenyatta Storms as part of a 7-0 run that bridged the quarter and got them back in the game at 50-44.
 
Back-to-back jumpers by Hayes and a triple by Williams then ignited a 7-0 burst for the Lakers that put the lead back at 13 with 8:45 remaining but GC would not go away. They would eventually get to within six again, this time 59-53 with just over four minutes on the clock.
 
Harper led the way for the Bobcats with a game-high 26 points to go with four rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists while Storms finished with nine points, five caroms and three assists. Jaycie Bowen rounded out the top performers with six points and as many boards.
 
Following the brief one game road trip, the Lakers will return home for the first of two games at The Loch. That set will begin against Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday, February 12 with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
Williams previous career-high for points was 12 twice, most recently last time out against Young Harris on February 5 … Hayes blew her rebounding personal best out of the water, surpassing the eight she had at YHC on January 31, 2018.