NCAA Women's Regional - Clayton State Advances to Final 79-68

HICKORY, NC – Senior guard Marie St. Fort scored 19 points and the Clayton State University defense came up with 15 steals as the third-seeded Lady Lakers claimed a 79-68 win over second-seeded and 16th-ranked Tusculum College, Saturday evening (March 14) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional women’s basketball tournament.

Clayton State (25-6) advances to its third consecutive Sweet Sixteen and will face the Lenoir-Rhyne College/Francis Marion University winner in the regional title game on Monday night at 7 p.m. Tusculum ends its season at 26-6.

St. Fort also grabbed nine rebounds, while junior guard Lesheria Stevens tallied 14 points and six steals and senior center Shanrika Hardeman recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Brittany Hall added 12 points and Dominique Jennings 10.

Clayton State, second nationally in turnover margin, forced 21 Tusculum miscues which were converted into 25 points.

Sophomore 5-0 guard Jasmine Gunn paced Tusculum with 18 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Junior 5-11 forward Kat Spears scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Stephany Neptune chipped in 12 points.

Clayton State hit its first three three-point attempts to lead 11-4, and the Lady Lakers would never trail in the contest. A fourth three-pointer, this one by Dominique Jennings, would put Clayton State up 20-12 with 11:32 left in the half.

Tusculum rallied to tie the game at 27-27 on a three-point play by Spears with 5:46 remaining. The Lady Lakers’ defense then came up with four steals resulting in an 8-2 run that produced a 35-29 lead. A 15-foot jumper by Stevens just before the halftime horn gave Clayton State a 39-34 advantage at intermission.

The squads traded baskets to open the second stanza, and following a stick-back by 6-8 center Catherine Hintz, the Pioneers still trailed by five at 52-47 with 13:36 left. Three-pointers by Jennings and St. Fort then sparked a 16-5 Clayton State run that put the Lady Lakers up 68-52 with 6:57 on the clock. St. Fort had eight total points in the spurt.

Tusculum would get no closer than 14 points until the final 65 seconds when the contest was already decided.

Although outshot from the field 50 percent to 47 percent, Clayton State hit 8-of-16 three-point attempts and committed only 12 turnovers.

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