MORROW, Ga. - The Columbus State University women's basketball team scored 47 second half points, including 30 in the fourth quarter, to pull away for an 87-66 road victory over Clayton State on Wednesday. The Peach Belt Conference game took place inside The Loch in Morrow, Ga. 

The Lady Cougar lead was just two at the 3:18 mark in the third quarter when an Aryan Dozier layup started a dominating stretch for CSU. Columbus State scored the next 11 points to end the period on an 11-2 run to move in front 57-46. 

In the fourth, CSU (12-3, 7-2 PBC) couldn't miss from beyond the arc going a perfect 6-for-6 en route to the 21-point victory. 

"The second half shows what this team is capable of," commented head coach Matt Houser. "When we start hitting the open looks and converting easy layups into points, we are really hard to beat."

"Aujana [Dawkins] and Lee[Aysia Williamson] were unstoppable tonight. It's so nice to have a versatile player like Auj on the court. She causes nightmares for opposing teams."

Williamson scored a game-high 26 points after going 10-for-18 from the field, including a 6-for-11 performance from 3-point range. Dawkins recorded her third straight double-double and filled the stat sheet on Wednesday. The junior had 18 points, 13 rebounds, a season-high five assists, and two steals. Kaihla Carter added 14 points to go along with a season-high six steals.

As a team, Columbus State shot 52.2 percent (35-for-67) overall and 55.6 percent (10-for-18) on 3-point attempts. 

Columbus State will look for its second four-game winning streak of the season when it hosts Young Harris on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center. It will be "Cougar Alumni Day" with all former CSU men's and women's basketball players receiving free admission into the doubleheader. 

The Junior League of Columbus will also be hosting "Dribbling For Diapers" on Saturday.  Admission into the doubleheader is just a pack of diapers for each adult while children get in free of charge. All proceeds will go to support the Junior League of Columbus' Healthy Child Initiatives in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley region.
 

Play-by-Play

First Half

It was a fast-paced first quarter with both teams coming out hot from the field. LeeAysia Williamson made her first 3-pointer of the game to put the Lady Cougars on top 7-4 just over two minutes into the game. Things were looking good for CSU after five straight points from Kaihla Carter and another Williamson bucket extended the lead to 16-10 with 3:35 to go in the first. However, the Lakers closed the quarter strong with a 7-2 run to edge in front 20-19 before the horn. The two teams exchanged body blows early in the second as the score changed hands six times over the first three-and-a-half minutes. Columbus State was up 25-24 before Clayton State threatened to run away from the Lady Cougars after a 9-2 run saw the Lakers jump ahead 33-27 around the midway point of the quarter. Four straight from Aujana Dawkins started another trademarked Columbus State run as the Lady Cougars stormed in front before the end of the half. Over the final 3:52 of the quarter, CSU outscored Clayton State 13-2, thanks to a perfect 6-for-6 shooting stretch.

Second Half

Clayton State continued to hang around early in the third cutting the margin to two on multiple occasions. However each time, the Lady Cougars had a response to remain in the lead. With 4:05 to go in the period, Dejah Montgomery hit a jumper to pull Clayton State within two once again at 46-44. This time, Columbus State answered in a game-changing way. The Lady Cougars scored the next 11 points to end the period on an 11-2 run to grab a 57-46 advantage. Clayton State was able to withstand the pressure early in the fourth, but the shots continued to fall for Columbus State over the final quarter. The Lady Cougars hit four of their first five shot attempts to break open a 68-55 lead. Things became worse for the Lakers over the next five-plus minutes as Columbus State went on a dominating 19-3 run, thanks to five 3-pointers, to take a game-high 27-point lead with 2:12 left in the game. The Lakers scored the final six points to make the final margin 21.

 

Inside the Numbers

• The 87 points are the most by Columbus State in a Peach Belt Conference games this season.  • LeeAysia Williamson has now made 10 field goals in a game twice over the course of the year. • CSU's 55.6% 3-point shooting percentage is a season-high. • Kaihla Carter's six steals were a career-high. • The Lady Cougars now have nine double-figure victories this season, including six in PBC play.  • Over the last four games, Aujana Dawkins is averaging 15.0 points and 13.5 rebounds with four double-double performances. On Wednesday, Dawkins was 9-for-11 from the field and is shooting 63.6 percent (28-for-44) over the four-game stretch. • CSU was 2-for-9 from three in the second and third quarters before going a perfect 6-for-6 over the final 10 minutes. • Columbus State has now won 11 of the last 12 meetings against Clayton State. All-time, CSU improves to 32-23.