Clayton State Shuts Down Carson-Newman in NCAA Women’s Basketball South Atlantic Region

MORROW, Ga. -- Playing host to an NCAA Regional Tournament in women's basketball was new territory for the Clayton State Lakers, but they didn't look the part on Friday night against visiting Carson-Newman in the opening round.

Paced by a steller defensive effort, top-seeded Clayton State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional for a third straight season with a 60-36 victory over eighth-seeded Carson-Newman. In addition, the 16th-ranked Lakers reached a new single-season high in victories as they improved to 26-5 overall.

The Lakers will face the winner of Elizabeth City State and Columbus State's in Saturday's 8 p.m. semifinal. Carson Newman finished its season 21-10.

Clayton State established its defensive presence, limiting Carson-Newman to only 20 percent shooting from the field and only five percent (1-for-18) from 3-point range.

The Lakers broke the game open with a 14-0 run to lead 21-7 with 7:37 remaining. Marie St. Fort and Roberta Phillips drained back-to-back 3-point baskets and Sharon Wiles scored twice in the paint during the rally.

Clayton State's largest lead of the half was 17 points, 27-10 on a lay-up by St. Fort. A jump shot by Lynette Jackson with 47 seconds remaining gave the Lakers a 29-14 lead at halftime. In the first half, Clayton State forced 13 Carson-Newman turnovers and limited the Lady Eagles to 23 percent shooting from the field.

In the second half, the Lakers stretched the lead to as much as 25 points on two occasions. Wiles' lay-up made it 51-26 with 8:08 remaining, and a jump shot in the lane by Basia Bukowska made the Clayton State lead 55-30 at the 5:52 mark. Clayton State's largest lead of the game was 26 points, 57-31 on a lay-up by Shantel Ragin with 3:23 remaining.

Wiles and Phillips both paced Clayton State with 10 points, followed by Jackson with nine points off the bench. Wiles also recorded two steals and eclipsed the single-season Clayton State and Peach Belt Conference record of 113 steals that she set last season. The senior now has 115 for the season.

Tasha Ledbetter scored 10 points for Carson-Newman, while Tykira McDaniel scored eight points. Forward Shari Buford grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. As a team, Carson-Newman out-rebounded Clayton State 46-42.