NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Clayton State 68 – North Georgia 56
Records: Lakers (12-9, 6-7 PBC) – Nighthawks (17-3, 11-2 PBC)
All-Time Series: Clayton State Leads 27-23
 
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The Clayton State women's basketball team upset No. 11 North Georgia Wednesday night, winning 68-57 and earning its third-straight Peach Belt Conference win. 

The victory was the first win over a ranked team for Clayton State since beating UNG on Feb. 29, 2020 in the season's finale. Earlier this season, the Lakers battled No. 11 UNG to a 70-61 home loss and won by forfeit over No. 7 Lander (COVID-19). 

After cruising to a home win on Monday against USC Aiken, Clayton State found itself in a close fight over the course of the game. 

The first quarter was back-and-forth as neither team led by more than five points. The two teams traded baskets and UNG took an 11-9 lead with 3:05 left in the first. The Lakers closed the quarter with seven-straight Raven Riley points to lead 16-11.

The Nighthawks responded in the second, using a 7-2 run to tie the game at 18-18. Clayton State took a brief 20-18 lead, but UNG answered back to pull ahead 28-21 at the 3:16 mark. Unanswered baskets by Jada Moss, Taniya Patrick and Hannah Wright made it a one-point game at halftime. 

The loss was the Nighthawks' second-straight conference defeat after falling to Georgia Southwestern Saturday. UNG fell from No. 3 in the nation to No. 11 in the WBCA Poll.

The third quarter belonged to Clayton State as the Lakers scored 19 points. A UNG layup made it a 35-35 score at the 4:57 mark, but Clayton State answered with 11 unanswered points to lead 46-45 after three quarters. 

Riley, along with Timi'a Swanson, scored 13 points in the win. Swanson collected eight rebounds, and two steals. 

The two teams exploded for 43 combined points in the fourth quarter with the Lakers edging out the Nighthawks 22-21. Clayton State would pull ahead by as many as 15 points with 3:08 left in the game and held the double-digit advantage until the final horn sounded. 

Patrick added 11 points and four rebounds while Diamond Swift finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. 

Clayton State had 28 bench points while UNG had zero. The Lakers also scored 15 points off 18 UNG turnovers. 

Julianne Sutton of the Nighthawks had a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. 

Up Next:
- The Lakers are back home Saturday for Homecoming. Columbus State will make its way to Morrow for a 3 p.m. tip.  
 
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