Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University men's basketball team got off to a hot start against Clayton State University, holding a lead at halftime. However, the Laker defense clamped down on the Tornado offense in the second half as Clayton State took the contest 95-85.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Clayton State 95, King 85
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 4-1; Clayton State 2-3
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- King got off to a hot start on a Damion and Ottman triple and Jordan Floyd jump shots as the Lakers took a timeout in the first two minutes.
- The Tornado then responded with nine straight points, started by a Floyd layup.
- James Brown scored the final five points, the last on a triple, giving King their largest lead at 14-3 four minutes into the game.
- The Lakers then started to chip away at their deficit, going on a 9-2 spurt to cut their deficit to 20-19 midway through the half.
- The Lakers took their first lead at 23-22 before the teams went back-and-forth of the remainder of the half.
- Josh Releford evened the score at 42 with a triple before four points from Floyd in the final minute game King a 46-44 lead at the half.
Second Half
- The Lakers made adjustments in the second half, holding the high-scoring Tornado offense to a 31.1 field goal percentage.
- On the offensive end, Clayton State improved, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three-point range.
- Brown started the half with a triple to stretch the King lead, but the Lakers came back with a 10-4 run to take a 54-53 lead.
- Mike Salomon drilled a triple that gave King a 71-63 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
- However, the Clayton State defense clamped down. In all, the Lakers scored 13 straight points to take a 76-71 lead.
- The Lakers extended their lead to 80-72, capping the 17-1 run with six minutes remaining.
- King tried to fight back and pulled within 84-81 following a Floyd layup with two minutes remaining.
- Nevertheless, the Lakers closed out the game at the free throw line to take the contest 95-85.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Floyd led King with 35 points, his most in a game this season. He added four rebounds, three assists and four steals.
- Brown followed with 16 points and five rebounds while Damion Ottman added 13 points and six rebounds.
- Releford chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
FOR THE FOES
- Kyle Kincey led the Lakers with 22 points and eight rebounds.
- Ricardo Saams, Jr. followed with 19 points while Arusha Hunter added 13.
- Byron Adams chipped in with 10 points as the Lakers' bench scored 51 points in the contest.
UP NEXT
- King is in action again on Tuesday when they host Johnson University (Tenn.) at 7:00 p.m.
- Clayton State returns to the court on Friday at Lynn University.
