PBC Tournament - Lakers Steal a Win Over Columbus State

AIKEN, S.C. - Lesheria Stevens scored Clayton State’s final six points and pilfered the game-clinching steal with three seconds remaining to give the No. 2-seed Lakers a 55-52 Peach Belt Conference quarterfinal victory over No. 7 seed Columbus State on Thursday evening in 2009 PBC Championship action at the USC Aiken Convocation Center in Aiken, S.C.

Clayton State advances to take on the winner of No. 3 seed USC Aiken and No. 6 seed GCSU in the PBC Semifinals on Saturday, March 7, at 4:00 p.m.

With 6.9 seconds remaining and the Lakers up by just one, 53-52, Ashley Stafford fouled Stevens and sent the junior from Chattahoochee, Fla., to the free throw line to shoot two. Stevens buried both, then the inbounds pass from Columbus State reached Monique Jefferson on the run. At halfcourt, Stevens came from behind and picked the ball from Jefferson, preserving the victory for Clayton State (23-5).

The Lakers held an eight point lead with five and a half minutes remaining in the second half, but a late charge by Columbus State (18-14) brought the Cougars to within one, 49-48, on a layup by PBC Player of the Year Phebe Smith with 3:31 left.

Stevens answered with a layup on an offensive rebound with 2:31 remaining, but Smith countered with a basket to bring it back to one, 51-50, with 1:18 left. Two free throws by Stevens with 57 seconds left made the lead three again, setting up the final dramatics.

Clayton State struggled early in the contest, hiting just 5 of its first 25 shots as Columbus State opened up a 22-13 lead in the first 12 minutes. The Lakers fought back to close to within one, 30-29, at halftime. Smith scored 14 of the Cougars’ 30 points in the first half.

The second half started with neither team scoring in the first four minutes. Clayton State took the lead on a three-point basket by Lisa Jackson, then Jackson and Jennings each hit a three to give the Lakers a 38-30 lead with 15:15 remaining.

The Lakers were led by Jackson’s 14 points, while Stevens finished the night with 13 points - including the game-clinching six points in the final two and a half minutes.

Smith finished the ballgame with a game-high 27 points for Columbus State, following up her 35-point explosion in a first-round win over Augusta State. Rosetta Hollis had nine points, but none in the second half.

Clayton State shot just 25 percent from the floor in the game, hitting 18-of-72 shots, but the Lakers forced 29 turnovers by the Lady Cougars. Columbus State hit 39 percent from the floor, making 20-of-51 shots, but did not make a three-point shot, going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Boxscore

PBC Tournament -- GAME 7 -- Clayton State vs. Columbus State

Columbus state Head Coach Jay Sparks

"In a ballgame like this where it's a one possession kind of game, especially towards the end, it's all about who is going to make the play. I give credit to Clayton State, who did make the play. I give credit to Stevens, stepping up and making two free throws, which were clutch free throws."

"We just couldn't get over the hump we built that we built for ourselves in order to either tie it or go have a chance to go ahead. From that standpoint, I gotta say that the best team won today."

"We got the ball inside to our post players and we were attacking the basket and that led to some easy baskets and some free throws. As the game wore on we got very tentative. We started playing on the perimeter, instead of in the middle of the floor."

"Our game was interior (today). We had to throw the ball and see if we could attack the basket and possibly get to the free throw line."

"They got 20 offensive rebounds. How many times did they get two, or three, or four and on the fourth one kick it out and knock down a three? Those are back-breakers."

On Columbus State's final possession..."Throw it in, attack and see if we could jump up and shoot a three and if anybody helped, dish it one way or the other. Phebe was spotted up on one side."

Columbus State's Phebe Smith
"Playing with my teammates, the coaching staff, achieving my goals that I had planned on reaching this year. Hopefully, next year we'll do bigger and better things and win the conference championship and have a better record."

"Next year we need to be confident in ourselves early on. We need to play together at all times and stay positive."

Clayton State Head Coach Dennis Cox
"I think the toughest game in this tournament is the first one. We really, really struggled shooting the basketball tonight."

"It took us a while to get into the game. I've always felt if we don't shoot well we can still win if we defend like we're capable of."

"Once we got into it, I thought we stemmed the tide and made a run at the end of the half, which was critical to get us back in the game. Then in the second half, I thought our defense continued to play well. We really didn't have an answer for Phebe Smith, but I don't know that anybody really does."

"We were fortunate that Urbizo didn't quite find the range, because she had some good looks."

"That was the difference in the game. Those three threes back-to-back that pushed it out to an eight point lead and allowed us to hang on. That was the only time we got separation."

On defending Columbus State's last possession..."I didn't want to foul, but I did not want to see them get a three off. I told them to be aggressive, go ahead and pressure them and play just as hard as you always do, if it's a foul, it's a foul. "

Clayton State's Lesheria Stevens
On defending the final Columbus State's possession..."I wanted to pressure the ball. Before I got the steal, I saw she wasn't paying attention behind her (so when the ball came) I came from behind and ripped it."

Clayton State's Lisa Jackson
On her three point shot during the Lakers string of consecutive threes..."I felt relief. Before that, Dominique hit the three and we came right back down and I hit the three and I knew we were up and had to play defense now."