Clark Atlanta overcame a lackluster first period and a nine point deficit at the half to defeat the ladies of Miles College 85-81.
Panthers head coach Tony Bailey knew his team could play better, and he made that clear at the half. “We were dead when we came out,” said head coach Tony Bailey. “We weren’t focused and that #15 (Jaylyn Shelby) hit everything she put up.”
Shelby led Miles with dead-eye accuracy from behind the arc knocking down 5-6 for a team high 17 points. Nayla Wesley and Makayla Rieves were right on her heels with 14 points a piece. Rieves played a sparse 19 minutes due to foul trouble.
It took a few trips up and down the floor before the Panthers hit the button to reel the Golden Bears in. The 11 point lead dwindled to nothing on the heals of a 16-5 run and a pair of free throws by Janiah Ellis.
Lawrence came off the bench four minutes into the first period and didn’t sit down again until it was time to start the second. The true freshman from just outside the perimeter scored her first two points on a layup inside seven minutes remaining. She went on to score six more including six of the Panthers last 11 points of the period.
The Panthers heated up in the third outscoring the Golden Bears 28-15 to take a 60-56 lead into the start of the final period. Janiah Ellis scored 10 of her fifteen in the third. Ellis knocked down two big three point shots. Atreonia Garner and Taylor Bolton matched Lawrence’s nine third period points.
Miles regained its scoring mojo in the fourth matching the Panthers shot for shot. Rieves picked up her scoring with 8 points in the first six minutes including a go-ahead jumper at 7:27.
Senior guard Trinity Jones buried a three and Lawrence knocked down the front end of her two free throws to put the Panthers ahead by three. The lead dropped to to one on a layup by Madison Lee with three seconds to play. It wasn’t enough as the Panthers put the game away at the free throw line avenging their loss to Miles earlier in the season.