COLUMBUS - Playing shorthanded, the Columbus State University women's basketball team dropped a tight 77-72 contest against Clayton State on Wednesday. The Peach Belt Conference game took place inside the Lumpkin Center.

Down key pieces, the Lady Cougars (16-7, 11-6 PBC) played only seven players in the game, with six tallying over 25 minutes of action. Despite that, CSU held a one-point lead at the break before a 14-3 Laker run opened a 45-36 Clayton State lead midway through the third.

Clayton State (16-9, 12-5) held a 65-53 advantage with 4:46 remaining before a furious 10-2 run by the Lady Cougars made things interesting late. In the final minute, a Kaihla Carter 3-pointer brought Columbus State within three (69-66), but free throws by the Lakers never gave the Lady Cougars a chance for a game-tying shot.

Carter managed a career-high 24 points for Columbus State behind a strong performance at the free throw line. The senior was 12-for-15 at the charity stripe. She added seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists. 

Valeria Merlos was 5-for-7 from 3-point range for 15 points while Aryan Dozier had 14. Aujana Dawkins had a team-high 12 rebounds.

"We just dug ourselves a big hole in the third quarter," commented head coach Matt Houser. "Overall, I don't feel like we played poorly. We just let it get away for a second, and that's all it took."

"It's not the end of the world because we lost this one game. The goal is not to make it a trend, and we will be just fine."

Columbus State was hot from beyond the arc going 7-for-12 (58.3%) while shooting 41.1 percent (23-for-56) overall from the field. At the free throw line, CSU was 19-for-30 (63.3%)

Columbus State will look for the season sweep of UNC Pembroke on Saturday, Feb. 22. The PBC game will tipoff at 1:30 p.m. in Pembroke, N.C. at the English E. Jones Center.
 

Play-by-Play

First Half

After Clayton State raced out to a 7-2 lead, eight straight points by Columbus State put the Lady Cougars ahead 10-7. Dawkins had six of CSU's first 10 points over the opening minutes. The two sides would continue exchanging runs as the Lakers reeled off 10 consecutive points to take a 19-13 lead after the first quarter. Carter began the second with nine straight points by herself leapfrogging the Lady Cougars back ahead by three (22-19) less than three minutes into the period. Merlos broke a 22-all deadlock with a 3-ball at the 5:51 mark giving Columbus State the lead for the remainder of the half. CSU led by as many as four (28-24) following a Toxiana Wilison layup. Clayton State scored the final bucket of the half to into the break down 32-31.

Second Half

The Lakers wasted no time in the second half beginning the third quarter on a 14-3 run to take a 45-36 lead. The lead was extended to 13 (51-38) following a Jhade Hayes 3-pointer before Columbus State recovered to stay in the game. The Lady Cougars were still down 10 midway through the fourth before a furious 10-2 run by the Lady Cougars made things interesting late. In the final minute, a Kaihla Carter 3-pointer brought Columbus State within three (69-66), but free throws by the Lakers never gave the Lady Cougars a chance for a game-tying shot.

 

Inside the Numbers

After missing its first 3-pointer of the night, Columbus State would then go 7-for-11 the rest of the game.  Carter has now gone for 20 or more points in back-to-back games. She has three 20-plus point games this season.  The Lady Cougars only had seven offensive rebounds. It tied a season-low for CSU.  Despite having only nine first-half turnovers, Columbus State committed 25 in the game. It's the second time this season that Merlos has made five 3-pointers in a game (vs. Fort Valley State).  Taneria Wilson scored a game-high 36 points for Clayton State.