SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Lynn women's basketball team suffered their second consecutive loss to open the season on Saturday, falling to Clayton State on the final day of the B.J. Ford Classic.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Clayton State 83, Lynn 72

Records: Clayton State (2-0), Lynn (0-2)

Location: Alumni Arena | Savannah, Ga.

Series: Clayton State leads 2-0

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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• First Quarter | The Knights took their only lead of the game when Zachara Bailey converted a three point play to make it 3-2, but the advantage held for only 12 seconds. Bailey went for ten points in the first ten minutes, while Tifani Kerrison added ten of her own off the bench. Clayton State led 24-19 at the end of the first quarter.  
• Second Quarter | The Pirates went on a 14-5 run to open the second quarter, with Shay Upshaw scoring 11 points. The second quarter proved to be a turning point in the game, as Clayton State made 13 trips to the free throw line and only allowed Lynn to take two free throws. The Knights went into the locker room at halftime facing a 46-35 deficit.
• Third Quarter | Lynn swung the momentum after the intermission, forcing 11 turnovers and scoring eight points on fast breaks in the first four minutes.  Clayton State stormed back quickly, however, outscoring Lynn 24-19 to carry a 70-54 advantage into the final quarter.
• Fourth Quarter | The two teams traded buckets for the majority of the final frame, and the fourth quarter marked the only frame the Knights outscored the Pirates. Clayton State continued to knock down shots to pull away, and Lynn would only pull within 11 before the final horn.

QUOTABLE:

• "The score was not what we wanted because winning is the goal every day, but watching our team rebound against one of the most athletic teams we will see all season was fun. Most importantly, our players never quit and kept fighting. We need to fix the turnovers and make sure we are buying into the defense. We saw two really good teams this weekend, and our girls are still getting to know each other. We could see it before our eyes. The chemistry keeps improving, and I was excited to see our team grow. Our next game is a tough one, and we have to make sure we are healthy. Our girls will be ready, and there will be a lot of focus to get ready for an incredibly tough team."  – Lynn head coach Julia Huddleston

STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Tifani Kerrison followed Friday night's 15-point game with 16 on Saturday as one of three Knights to score in double figures. Charla Nelson-James added ten points, while Zachara Bailey led the team with 17.
• Lynn shot 32% from the floor in the first half, but the Knights were much more efficient after the break, connecting on 48% of their attempts.
• All nine Knights that saw the floor found the bottom of the twine, while eight recorded a rebound.
• Four Pirates scored ten or more points, highlighted by Andrea Benford and her game-high 22 points.
• Lynn won the rebound battle 37-30, but Clayton State forced 26 turnovers and committed only 22.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Saturday's meeting was the second ever between Lynn and Clayton State and the first since 2010.
• Saturday saw just one lead change and two ties, with the Pirates leading for more than 35 minutes.

UP NEXT:

The Fighting Knights return action on November 18th, when they open Sunshine State Conference play on the road at Nova Southeastern. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm.