MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton State University men's basketball team hosted Albany State University for its final game of 2024 on Thursday evening.  The Lakers blew past Albany State, in its final non-conference game, 92-68. 
 
The Lakers came to play early in the first half as they scored 10 of the first 12 points and made the score, 10-2.  Jojo Bell and DJ Wright nailed threes during that run.  Bell continued to pace the Lakers in the half as he tossed in a trio of threes and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, scoring 14 points.  The big play of the half come at the 11:45 mark when Bell converted a four-point play to make the score, 22-12.  That play proved to shift the momentum for the duration of the half. 
 
The Lakers shot 7-for-12 from beyond the arc and led the Golden Rams, 45-32, going into the half.  Tahai Morgan, Jamall Clyce, Lay Davis, and Dashaun Joseph all scored points for the Lakers down the stretch in the half.  Yannis Woods and Bell led the team with four rebounds.  The Lakers notched 14 assists on 17 made baskets.
 
Halftime: Clayton State 45, Albany State 32
 
The Golden Rams tried cutting into the Laker lead in early in the second half and made the score, 51-40.  Wright and Clyce then two of the five second half threes for the Lakers and made the score, 59-43.  Woods and Bell then took over the game as the Laker lead grew to 72-47.  Mason Pierre, who made a trio of three-balls in the second half, drilled one from beyond the arc during that stretch. 
 
Woods, Pierre, Harris, and Matt Brown scored for the Lakers in the final four minutes of the game and the Lakers went onto blow past the Golden Rams, 92-68. 
 
QUICK HITS

• Bell led the Lakers with 18 points going 7-for-7 from the field including going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
• Woods followed with 15 points off the bench and Wright added 13 points.
• Bell led the Lakers with seven boards and blocked a pair of shots.
• Elijah Dates notched nine assists.
• All 12 Lakers scored baskets in the game.
• The Lakers notched 26 assists on 34 made shots.
• The Lakers shot 48% from three (12-for-25) and 56% for the game. 

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Lakers (6-5 0-1 PBC)) travel to the Palmetto State to play USC Beaufort on Saturday, January 4^th, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
 
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