NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Flagler 70 – Clayton State 69
Records: Lakers (5-2, 5-2 PBC) – Saints (3-5, 2-4 PBC)
Series History: Clayton State leads 13-3
 
MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton State women's basketball team dropped its first home game of the season, 70-69 to Flagler, despite a career-high 25-point effort from junior Audrey McElhaney in Saturday's Peach Belt Conference matchup in The Loch.
 
After 1:32 of play, McElhaney scored the game's first basket before a pair of Jessica Maye free throws put the Lakers up 4-0. Flagler responded less than a minute later with a 3-pointer, but McElhaney and Grace Kabundi scored six straight points in the paint to pull ahead by seven.
 
Flagler battled back and pulled within three, but the Lakers closed the opening quarter with a 19-11 lead.
 
Clayton State (5-2, 5-2 PBC) entered Saturday's contest second in the conference standings after reeling off four-straight wins. The Saints (3-5, 2-4 PBC) were ninth after losing four-straight.
 
The Lakers picked up where they left off from the first and scored four-quick points to lead by 12. The Saints started chipping away at the lead and tied the game 33-33 with three seconds left in the half. Flagler outscored Clayton State 22-14 in the second.
 
McElhaney's 25 points were a season-high for Clayton State as she topped Timi'a Swanson's 24-point effort against Columbus State. The duo has led the Lakers in scoring this season in all but one game.
 
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair as both teams traded the lead in the first 5:50. The Saints took a one-point advantage with 3:21 remaining and led by five with the fourth quarter still to be played.
 
The fourth mirrored the third, but this time Flagler went ahead 60-59 with just over seven minutes to play and held the lead for the remainder of the game.
 
Maye hit a pair of free throws with less than a minute to play to pull one within one point, but the Lakers missed two chances in the final 10 seconds to steal the win.


COMING UP:
- Clayton State returns home on Wednesday, February 3, for a matchup against Georgia College.
- The Lakers then hit the road for a game at Francis Marion before playing a pair of games at The Loch on Feb. 10 and 13.

TURNING POINT:
- Flagler took the final lead of the game with 7:06 left in the fourth quarter.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- McElhaney added eight rebounds and two steals to her 25 points.
- Maye finished with six points and eight rebounds.
- Kerry Watson had five points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- Flagler had four players score in double figures.
 
 
_______________________________________________________________________________
Be sure to follow Clayton State Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.