FORT VALLEY, Ga. - After leading from the start of the game until just over nine minutes remaining to play, Clark Atlanta was defeated on the road at Fort Valley State, 65-63. Lost in the effort was the third 30+ game for
Mykala Jones. Jones scored 37 points to top the score sheet with the best scoring game for CAU this season.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:Score: Fort Valley State 65, Clark Atlanta 63
Record: Fort Valley State (5-14; 4-6 SIAC), Clark Atlanta (6-13; 4-5 SIAC)
Date: Jan. 25, 2016 | Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: HPE Basketball Arena | Fort Valley, Ga.
HOW IT HAPPENED:Siera Bubb opened the game with a jumper on the opening possession off the
Brandie Robertson assist. CAU opened the game with a 10-0 run.
Mykala Jones scored on back-to-back layups ahead of
Nekia Sockwell converting on a jumper and a layup to cap the run.
After ended the opening quarter with the 19-10 lead, the second quarter was closer with Clark Atlanta outscoring Fort Valley by just three points; 16-13.
Jones scored 12 points during the quarter with
Kiyanna Johnson (one),
Naquaisha Rattray (one), and Sockwell (two) rounding out the scoring.
The Panthers entered the break leading 35-23.
Fort Valley cut the lead to just one point in the third quarter, 47-46, thanks to a 16-4 run ahead of a 5-0 run late in the quarter.
After leading the entire game, Clark Atlanta was played into a tie, 48-48, with 9:49 to play in the fourth quarter. The tie became a two-point deficit, 50-48.
Jones tied the game with a pair of made FT attempts before Bubb regained the lead, 52-50, on a jumper on a Sockwell assist with 4:01 left in the game.
The lead went back-and-forth between the two teams the remainder of the game. Rattray sent the game to overtime with a layup with just 36 seconds remaining. Jones was able to get off a layup attempt with nine seconds remaining but missed the potential game winner.
The home team jumped out to a four-point lead as overtime began, and the Panthers would fail overcome the deficit.
Jones scored all four points for Clark Atlanta in the extra five minutes from the FT line.
THE NUMBERS:Clark Atlanta shot 34.9 percent (22-for-63) from the floor compared to 29 percent (27-for-93) for Fort Valley State. Both teams struggled with the 3-point shot with CAU connecting on 2-for-7 and FVSU connecting on 3-of-18.
The Panthers went 17-for-33 from the FT line.
Clark Atlanta converted 13 Fort Valley turnovers into just six points.
CAU trailed in fast break points, 16-13, points off turnovers, 13-6, points in the paint, 35-26, and second chance points, 17-6.
The Panthers led the game for 30:02 (66.7 percent) compared to just 7:07 (15.8 percent) for FVSU.
Jones scored a game-high 37 points. The point total was the third 30+ point game of the season for Jones and also was the highest single game effort for the Panthers. For the game she shot 10-for-26 and made both 3-pointers for CAU in the game. Jones also converted 15-of-21 FT attempts.
Sockwell was the only other player to reach double-digit point totals with 10 points, her third double-digit game of the season.
Bubb hauled in a team-high 14 rebounds while scoring eight points. Rattray added nine rebounds.
Robertson recorded a game-high eight assists, tying Sockwell for single-game high this season.
UP NEXT:Clark Atlanta returns to Epps Gymnasium on Jan. 28 to host Benedict College with just three home games remaining this season.
