FROM STAFF REPORTS

MORROW, Ga. – The University of Montevallo women’s basketball team fell on the road at top-ranked and undefeated Clayton State University 83-51 in a Peach Belt Conference contest Feb. 9.

The Lakers entered the game ranked No. 1 in the latest ESPN/USA Today NCAA Division II women’s basketball poll.

Senior Trena Moore-Smith led the Falcons (13-10 overall, 8-6 in Peach Belt Conference) with 16 points. Moore-Smith, who finished 5-of-13 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, knocked down 4-of-5 free-throw attempts while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out a team-high six assists.

Sophomore Taylor Beverly added 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor. Beverly finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

Freshman Jacquelyn Thompson chipped in seven points off the bench. Seniors Zena Nasiloski, who grabbed six boards, and Carolyn Taite contributed four points each. Senior Alex Strickland, junior Shay Bonner and freshman Jasmine Thomas finished with two points each.

Clayton State opened the game with a 7-0 run, capped with a 3-pointer by Keona Dixon with 17:48 remaining in the first half.

The Falcons went on a quick 4-0 run to cut the Lakers’ lead to three points following a pair of free throws by Moore-Smith and a jumper by Beverly, which capped the spurt with 16:20 left in the opening half.

Clayton State responded with another  7-0 run to take its first double-digit lead in the game. A layup by Kayla Mobley gave the Lakers a 14-4 advantage with 12:20 left in the first half. Montevallo trimmed the deficit to 16-13 following a 9-2 run, capped with a jumper by Nasiloski at the 7:20 mark in the opening half.

The Lakers opened up another double-digit lead following a layup by Jessica Covington with 5:10 left in the opening half, which capped another 7-0 run and gave Clayton State a 23-13 advantage. The Lakers took their largest lead in the first half following a layup by Kayla Mobley, which capped a 6-0 run and gave Clayton State a 37-15 lead with 13 seconds remaining in the half.

Moore-Smith knocked down a 3-pointer with one second left in the first half to trim the deficit to 37-18 heading into the locker room at halftime.

Dixon drained a 3-pointer with 18:27 remaining in the game to push the Lakers’ lead to 40-20. Montevallo began chipping away at the deficit, with a layup by Strickland cutting the Clayton State lead to 46-33 with 12:10 remaining in the game.

However, a quick 5-0 run midway through the half helped the Lakers take back momentum. Clayton State led by as many as 36 points down the stretch following a 3-pointer by Auburn Randolph with 2:02 left in the game.

The Falcons return to action Wednesday, Feb. 13 with a Peach Belt Conference contest against Georgia Southwestern State University at BankTrust Arena. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m.