BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Clark Atlanta women's basketball nearly saw a 20-point advantage in the fourth quarter disappear but held on to win over Lane; 79-76. Lane owned the 34-24 advantage in the fourth quarter scoring.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Clark Atlanta 79; Lane 76     
Record: Clark Atlanta (10-16); Lane (12-15)    
Date: Feb. 28, 2017 | Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Bill Harris Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
Previous Matchup: Clark Atlanta lost at Lane on Dec. 31, 2016; 89-78. Lauren Turner had double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter | The game was scoreless until Lane was good from the FT line with 8:35 left on the clock and later added a layup with 8:09 remaining to take the 3-0 lead. Clark Atlanta tied the game, 3-3, with a 3-pointer from Nicole Graham off the assist from Marissa Mandeldove with the clock showing 6:15. Kiyanna Johnson gave CAU the lead, 6-5, with a 3-pointer. The Panthers led the Lady Dragons after the first quarter; 13-12.

Second Quarter | After each team swapped the lead to end the first quarter and to start the second, Mandeldove went 2-for-2 from the FT line sparking a 6-0 run as CAU took the lead including Reyana Miller scoring on a pair of layups; 21-16. CAU scored three times from the FT line before another 3-pointer from Graham gave CAU the 27-23 with 1:56 left in the opening half. Naquaisha Rattray was good on a pair from the FT line as CAU led by six points; 29-23. Rattray later added another pair from the FT line as she was 6-for-6 in the opening half at the stripe. Clark Atlanta led 31-27 at the intermission.
 
Clark Atlanta shot 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) from the floor including 11-for-15 from the FT line. CAU was aided by shooting 4-for-10 from 3-point range.

Third Quarter | Lauren Turner scored on back-to-back jumpers to open the second half with CAU leading by six; 35-29. A FT from Turner and a jumper from Rattray pushed the Panther advantage back to six points with 7:21 left in the third quarter; 39-33. Clark Atlanta opened up a game-high 12-point lead using an 10-2 run including six made FT's along with Graham good on a pair of layups in transition; 49-37. The quarter end with Sydni Davis and Rattray each adding a layup and Clark Atlanta leading by 13 points; 55-42. CAU outscored the opposition by nine in the quarter; 24-15.

Fourth Quarter | The Panthers extended the advantage to 20 points using a 6-0 run mid-way through the quarter after a pair of FT's from Johnson ahead of a Mandeldove layup and two more from the line by Graham; 65-45. Lane moved the lead to just nine points with 4:28 left after a 16-5 run before Mandeldove added two more from the FT line. Lane moved the game within one score, 72-69, after an 8-0 run ending with Reyana Miller going 2-for-2 from the FT line with 2:06 to play. Kendall Youngblood made 1-of-2 from the line with 1:26 to play and the Panther leading by six; 75-69. Clark Atlanta held on by scoring the final seven points from the FT line.

TEAM NUMBERS:
Clark Atlanta shot 18-for-50 (36.0 percent) from the floor and went 39-for-53 (73.6 percent) from the FT line.
 
CAU led the game in points off turnovers, 18-12, and fast break scoring, 6-2. The Panthers forced the Lady Dragons into 20 turnovers and only committed 13.
 
Clark Atlanta led the game for 31:46 (79.4 percent) as the last Lane advantage came with 7:25 left in the second quarter.

INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS:
Graham scored a game-high 23 points as she was one of three Panthers in double figures along with Johnson (14) and Rattray (12).
 
Davis recorded a team-high seven rebounds while Mandeldove had game-highs in assists with five and steals with four.


UP NEXT:
Clark Atlanta returns to the court on Thurs. versus Claflin at 5:30 p.m. from the Bill Harris Arena within the Birmingham CrossPlex.