Box Score MORROW, GA – An 8-0 spurt by Clayton State University to open the third quarter proved decisive as the Lakers handed 15th-ranked Francis Marion University its first loss of the season 73-61, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 19) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.
Francis Marion (9-1, 1-1) will return from a Christmas break to play host to Converse College on Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 4 p.m. on City of Darlington Day. The Patriots will then entertain PBC pre-season favorite Columbus State University on Jan. 2 at 1:30 p.m.
Senior forward Alaysia Watts led FMU with 19 points and eight rebounds, while sophomores Briana Burgins and Khayani Chandler added 12 and 11 points respectively. Chandler also hauled down six rebounds.
Francis Marion played without the services of freshman standout Shaunice Fulmore, who missed her second straight game with an illness.
Andrea Benford paced the Lakers (8-1, 2-0) with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Kayla Pryce scored 14.
The Patriots committed a season-high 27 turnovers, while forcing 20 Clayton State miscues. As a result, the Lakers held a 23-15 advantage in points-off-turnovers. Clayton State also led 22-10 in second-chance points. These were two areas in which the Patriots had excelled through their opening nine contests.
The two teams traded a pair of buckets each to open the game, before the Lakers took the lead for good at 8-4. FMU trailed only 15-13, but Clayton State scored five straight points to lead 20-13 at the end of the first quarter.
After the Lakers scored the first basket of the second quarter to go up 22-13, Francis Marion responded with an 11-4 spurt to draw within 26-24 after a Victoria Dye lay-in with seven minutes left before halftime. However, the Patriots would manage only one more made bucket before halftime as Clayton state opened a 38-27 lead at intermission.
Clayton State scored the opening eight points of the third period to lead 46-27. FMU gradually rallied to pull within 10 points at 54-44 following a three-pointer by Chandler to close out the third quarter.
A 10-2 run to open the final period expanded the Laker margin back to 18 points at 64-46 with 4:03 left. Francis Marion trimmed the deficit to single digits at 70-61 after a three-pointer by Watts with 34 seconds remaining.
Francis Marion shot 39.3 percent from the field, was 6-of-18 from behind the three-point arc, and was 11-of-15 at the foul line. Clayton State connected on 42.9 percent of its shots, was 2-of-9 from long range, and 17-of-26 at the free throw stripe.
12-19-15 1:30 PM at Morrow, Ga.
CLAYTON STATE 73, #15 FRANCIS MARION 61
FRANCIS MARION (9-1, 1-1 PBC)
Alaysia Watts 7-14 2-2 19; Briana Burgins 5-8 2-4 12; Khayani Chandler 5-14
0-0 11; TeTe Flowers 2-3 2-2 7; Kristin Tines 1-3 3-5 5; Camille Dash 1-4
2-2 5; Victoria Dye 1-10 0-0 2. Totals 22-56 11-15 61.
CLAYTON STATE (8-1, 2-0 PBC)
Andrea Benford 9-14 2-3 20; Pryce,Kayla 5-8 3-5 14; Tierra Johnson 3-8 5-6
11; Daquenna Moore 3-9 3-6 9; K. Jones-Barrett 4-7 0-0 9; Tweety Hawkins 0-2
3-4 3; Ashley Cunningham 1-1 1-2 3; Covington,Jessica 1-7 0-0 2; Aniefok
Udofia 1-2 0-0 2; Shay Upshaw 0-3 0-0 0; Dennard,Dejoun 0-2 0-0 0;
Hynes,Alexus 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 17-26 73.
Francis Marion................ 13 14 17 17 - 61
Clayton State................. 20 18 16 19 - 73
3-point goals--Francis Marion 6-18 (Alaysia Watts 3-5; TeTe Flowers 1-1;
Camille Dash 1-1; Khayani Chandler 1-6; Victoria Dye 0-5), Clayton State 2-9
(Pryce,Kayla 1-2; K. Jones-Barrett 1-2; Covington,Jessica 0-3; Aniefok
Udofia 0-1; Andrea Benford 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-TeTe Flowers,
Clayton State-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 34 (Alaysia Watts 8), Clayton
State 40 (Daquenna Moore 7). Assists--Francis Marion 17 (Victoria Dye 5),
Clayton State 10 (Pryce,Kayla 2; Tierra Johnson 2). Total fouls--Francis
Marion 19, Clayton State 18. Technical fouls--None. A-227
