LAKELAND, Fla. - Clark Atlanta women's basketball opened the 2015-2016 season with a 79-78 victory over Saint Leo University from the Sunshine State Conference. The game was the opener of the annual SSC/SIAC Challenge.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:Score: Clark Atlanta 79, Saint Leo 78
Record: Clark Atlanta (1-0), Saint Leo (0-1)
Date: Nov. 13, 2015 | Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Jenkins Field House | Lakeland, Fla.
HOW IT HAPPENED:In the first game of the new season under the new 10 minute quarter format, the teams swapped opening baskets and were tied, 4-4, when
Mykala Jones was fouled on a made layup. The resulting free throw gave the Panthers the first lead of the game, 5-4, with 6:27 left in the opening quarter.
Sydni Davis stretch the lead 23 seconds late with a made jump shot with the assist from
Nekia Sockwell.
Saint Leo scored the next nine points for the six point advantage.
Brandi Robertson made the first FT attempt but missed the second after being fouled by Gabby Ortiz..
Naquaisha Rattray ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating layup for the final points in the first ten minutes. CAU ended the quarter trailing 15-10.
CAU took the lead at the beginning of the second quarter after another jumper by Davis and Rattray adding four-consecutive points.
CAU would lead by as many as four points in the second quarter but went to halftime with just the two point lead, 35-33. Davis broke the tie, 33-33, with a last second jumper.
After an early basket for SLU, Jones took over. She scored on a jump shot, back-to-back free throw, a 3-pointer in 2:21 to help CAU take the 44-35 lead with 6:43 to play in the third quarter.
Sierra Bubb and Davis converted back-to-back layup attempts for an 11 point advantage, 48-37.
Saint Leo cut the lead down to two points before two FT from Jones, a Davis jumper, and
Kiyanna Johnson added a pair of FT to give Clark Atlanta a six point lead heading to the final quarter; 54-48.
Jones, Rattray, Davis, and Bubb scored 14 points to open the final quarter giving CAU the largest lead of the game, 15 points, 68-53 with 4:55 to play.
A furious run by Saint Leo tied the game, 76-76, with 17 seconds to play.
Sockwell scored on the back-end of a pair of free throws for the one point lead before Saint Leo took the lead by one as Chachi Guzman made both shots from the line with six seconds on the clock.
Before the final horn could sound, Jones was able to get a shot off that was good for the game-winner.
THE NUMBERS:Jones scored a team-high 21 points as she and Davis each made six baskets. Jones was 2-for-6 from 3-point range and 7-for-7 from the FT line.
Davis added 17 points on 6-for-16 from the field and dished out a game-high six assists.
Bubb secured an impressive double-double with 15 points and a game-high 19 rebounds.
Johnson went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and 2-for-3 from the field to score 10 points.
UP NEXT:Clark Atlanta will play Florida Southern tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in the finale of the SSC/SIAC Challenge.
