AIKEN --- Clayton State spent most of the regular season finding ways to lose.
So trailing by seven with 1:20 remaining, the Lakers found themselves on the flip side Wednesday night.
Clayton State scored the final 10 points of the game and made two key blocks in the final five seconds to knock off UNC Pembroke, 53-50, in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.
"Poetic justice," Lakers coach Gordon Gibbons said, "was us coming back tonight."
Clayton State (14-14) advances to play No. 10 Augusta State at 1 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals. The Lakers, who knocked off the Jaguars in last season's tournament semifinal game, are 2-3 against Augusta State in their past five meetings.
"We kind of view Augusta as one of our real rivals," Gibbons said. "Last year, the games were great and this year they've been excellent basketball games this year."
"We've had some real tough battles. They've won some and we've won some," Clayton State senior guard Michael Sloan said.
"Those are the most fun games when you're playing good competition."
UNC Pembroke (8-20) seemed prime to prevent another Augusta State-Clayton State matchup. The Braves held a 50-43 lead with 1:20 remaining, despite point guard John Keimig fouling out a minute earlier.
Then, reality set in.
UNC Pembroke committed four turnovers in the final two minutes. Clayton State fed off the miscues and drained four consecutive free throws to pull within three.
Junior Bernard Fields, an Aiken Tech graduate, then scored on a putback. He later banked in an 8-foot shot to give the Lakers a one-point advantage with 32 seconds remaining.
Clayton State's Brian Kelly blocked a layup attempt with five seconds left.
Then Sloan blocked a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
UNC Pembroke coach Jason Tinsley said he was pleased with his team's effort, but not with the season.
"I think we underachieved," he said.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
WOMEN
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE 74, UNC PEMBROKE 68
UNC PEMBROKE (10-18)--Natalie Ray 6-15 0-2, 12, Lavantay Johnson 1-3 1-2 4, Victoria Willis 6-17 2-2 19, Ivy Ramsey 3-11 1-2 7, Talena Faison 0-1 0-0 0, Ashley Morales 0-1 0-0 0, Kristen Hobbs 0-0 0-0 0, JaToya Kemp 3-7 0-0 6, Chevoya Jackson 3-11 0-0 6, DeNeer Davis 4-7 5-7 14, Jodi Zimmerman 0-0 0-0 0, Jamaisha Ward 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 26-74 9-15 68.
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE (18-10)--Lacey Willis 5-14 6-7 16, Kaneetha Gordon 3-11 7-8 13, Alandris Griffin 5-7 0-1 10, Jasmine Herron 3-6 2-2 10, Lindsey Holmes 2-10 2-2 8, Dartavyia Thomas 3-6 4-4 10, Lindsey Lieneman 1-2 0-0 2, Kelly Versluis 2-4 1-2 5. Totals: 24-60 22-26 74.
Halftime: Armstrong Atlantic State 39-29. 3-point goals: UNC Pembroke 7-25 (Johnson 1-1, Willis 5-13, Ramsey 0-4, Faison 0-1, Morales 0-1, Jackson 0-3, Davis 1-2), Armstrong 4-15 (Willis 0-2, Gordon 0-1, Herron 2-3, Holmes 2-8, Lieneman 0-1). Rebounds: UNC Pembroke 43 (Ray 14), Armstrong 47 (Gordon 12). Assists: UNC Pembroke 13 (Ramsey 4), Armstrong 15 (Herron 5). Turnovers: UNC Pembroke 8, Armstrong 13. Fouls: UNC Pembroke 19, Armstrong 12. Fouled out: none. A-255.
NORTH GEORGIA 74, GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE 64
GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE (13-15)--Elicia Lynch 8-19 0-0 22, Lindsey Smith 5-10 0-2 11, Tiauna Brantley 5-8 0-0 10, Ashley Williams 2-12 2-3 6, Emily Bixler 1-10 1-2 3, Tonisha Wimbish 0-0 0-0 0, Shawana Harrison 0-0 0-0 0, Christina Royster 0-2 0-0 0, Mandi Dudish 3-8 0-0 9, Jessica Baker 1-4 1-2 3. Totals: 25-73 4-9 64.
NORTH GEORGIA (17-11)--Syretha Marble 7-10 3-7 18, Megan Huffman 6-13 2-3 19, Rachael Jolley 1-3 2-2 4, Kourtney Singleton 3-7 9-10 15, Lindsey Kitchens 1-2 0-0 3, Brooke Baker 3-6 4-4 12, Krystyn Young 0-2 3-4 3, Kiara Swanier 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-44 23-30 74.
Halftime: North Georgia 41-21. 3-point goals: GCSU 10-33 (Lynch 6-14, Smith 1-2, Williams 0-1, Bixler 0-4, Royster 0-2, Dudish 3-8, Baker 0-2), North Georgia 9-14 (Marble 1-2, Huffman 5-6, Kitchens 1-2, Baker 2-3, Young 0-1). Rebounds: GCSU 33 (Brantley 8), North Georgia 42 (Marble 9). Assists: GCSU 15 (Smith 7), North Georgia 18 (Huffman 5). Turnovers: GCSU 20, North Georgia 29. Fouls: GCSU 23, North Georgia 11. Fouled out: Brantley, Williams. A-175.
WEDNESDAY'S BOX SCORES
MEN
CLAYTON STATE 53, UNC PEMBROKE 50
UNC PEMBROKE (8-20)--Jarrell Hunter 3-7 3-4 11, Zachary Honeycutt 5-9 0-0 12, Jonathan Hart 7-13 0-0 16, John Keimig 0-3 0-0 0, Gabe Pinkston 0-2 2-2 2, John Walters 0-1 0-0 0, Sammie Garner 0-1 1-2 1, Cortez Brown 3-10 0-0 8, Brandon Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-46 6-8 50.
CLAYTON STATE (14-14)--Michael Sloan 0-6 4-4 4, Brian Kelly 1-3 0-0 2, Armel Traore Dit Nignan 1-5 0-0 2, Tracy Williams 2-9 4-6 10, Bernard Fields 6-13 0-1 12, Trey Goss 0-1 0-0 0, Will Lewis 6-11 0-0 13, Jerome Boyd 3-5 0-2 6, Ricky Garrett 2-8 0-0 4. Totals: 21-61 8-13 53.
Halftime: UNC Pembroke 23-20. 3-point goals: UNC Pembroke 8-26 (Hunter 2-5, Honeycutt 2-4, Hart 2-4, Keimig 0-3, Pinkston 0-2, Walters 0-1, Garner 0-1, Brown 2-6), Clayton State 3-22 (Sloan 0-5, Williams 2-6, Fields 0-5, Goss 0-1, Garrett 0-2, Lewis 1-3). Rebounds: UNC Pembroke 32 (Hunter 7), Clayton State 36 (Boyd 7). Assists: UNC Pembroke 14 (Keimig 4), Clayton State 10 (Williams 4). Turnovers: UNC Pembroke 25, Clayton State 15. Fouls: UNC Pembroke 17, Clayton State 16. Fouled out: Keimig. A--188.
LANDER 68, FRANCIS MARION 53
LANDER (10-18)--Dane Sparrow 2-3 2-2 8, Houston Wright 2-6 4-4 8, Scottie Smith 4-8 2-2 10, Ford Lawrence 3-7 2-3 11, Zach Evans 3-11 10-12 17, Travis Allison 2-3 0-0 5, Darius Johnson 0-0 2-2 2, Curtis Milner 1-3 0-0 2, Brenton Harris 2-4 1-4 5. Totals: 19-45 23-29 68.
FRANCIS MARION (12-16)--Simel Boyd 1-5 7-8 9, Sam Smith 8-15 4-6 20, Kevin Clark 3-6 1-2 8, Crayton Jones 0-1 1-2 1, Houston Power 3-9 1-2 9, Michael Laney 0-4 0-0 0, Nate Morley 1-3 0-1 2, Rodrick Burton 2-4 0-0 4, David Turner 0-5 0-0 0, Carter Stiglbauer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-52 14-21 53.
Halftime: Lander 35-21 3-point goals: Lander 7-14 (Sparrow 2-2, Wright 0-2, Lawrence 3-5, Evans 1-3, Allison 1-2), Francis Marion 3-17 (Boyd 0-1, Clark 1-2, Power 2-7, Laney 0-3, Morley 0-2, Turner 0-2). Rebounds: Lander 41 (Harris 13), Francis Marion 26 (Boyd 6). Assists: Lander 10 (Lawrence 3), Francis Marion 13 (Power 4). Turnovers: Lander 16, Francis Marion 12. Fouls: Lander 19, Francis Marion 21. Fouled out: none. A-261
OTHER RESULTS
PAINE 73, LANE 65
SIAC Tournament
Birmingham, Ala.
LANE COLLEGE (5-23)--Antwann Cosey 3-5 10-14 16, Justin Buford 6-9 0-0 14, Mike Jones 3-6 5-6 11, Lincoln Blache 3-7 3-6 9, Daniel Robertson 3-6 1-3 7, Jacarri Neal 3-8 0-2 6, Pierre Robertson 1-2 0-1 2, Julian Harris 0-3 0-0 0, Michael Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Adontis Sutton 0-0 0-0 0, Alan Jordan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-46 19-32 65.
PAINE COLLEGE (14-14)--Joshua Adams 5-11 4-4 17, Marcus McDaniel 5-14 2-4 13, Jason Smalls 5-11 3-4 13, Curtravious Smith 4-7 0-0 8, Najee Tolbert 1-5 5-6 8, Donald Harris 2-6 2-2 6, Julian English 1-5 2-2 4, Alan Walker 0-0 4-4 4, Jerome Nicholson 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas Broughton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-59 22-26 73.
Halftime: Paine 45-32.
3-point goals: Lane 2-7 (Buford 2-3, Neal 0-4), Paine 5-16 (Adams 3-7, Tolbert 1-3, McDaniel 1-4, English 0-2). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Lane 29 (Blache 8), Paine 37 (Smalls 14). Assists: Lane 10 (Neal 4, Buford 4), Paine 14 (Walker 6). Total fouls:Lane 21, Paine 24. Technical fouls: None. A-275.
Women
PAINE 62, LANE 59
SIAC Tournament
Birmingham, Ala.
Lane (6-21)--Danielle Swing 8-11 1-2 17, Kim Jones Carter 6-17 1-4 13, Bryttany Gant 3-9 5-5 11, Shandra Willis 3-9 0-0 6, Dominique Foy 1-5 4-4 6, Shauna Bagby 0-5 4-4 4, Krissie Shells 1-1 0-0 2, Tiffany Baker 0-0 0-2 0, Shauntai Greer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-57 15-21 59.
Paine (6-20)--Latoya Ashley 4-7 8-11 16, LaKeisha Bell 5-10 4-7 14, Chantal Murray 3-16 2-2 9, Natoria Rowland 1-6 3-4 6, Lashawnda Sanders 3-4 0-0 6, Savoyia Barrett 0-7 5-6 5, Melanie Ginyard 2-2 0-0 4, Queen Williard 1-2 0-0 2, Reckesia Sellers 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 19-55 22-30 62.
Halftime: Paine 38-29.
3-point goals: Lane 0-7 (Swing 0-1, Gant 0-1, Willis 0-3, Foy 0-2), Paine 2-15 (Rowland 1-5, Murray 1-6, Barrett 0-3, Williard 0-1). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Lane 38 (Bagby 11), Paine 38 (Ashley 12). Assists: Lane 10 (Willis 7), Paine 13 (Murray 9). Total fouls: Lane 23, Paine 17. Technical fouls: None. A-175.
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