MORROW, GEORGIA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's basketball team opened the spring semester Saturday afternoon at Clayton State. The Lakers used a strong second quarter to take a halftime lead before closing out a 51–46 victory over the Sand Sharks in a defensive battle.
The Sand Sharks fell to 7–6 on the season with a 4–2 conference record, while Clayton State improved to 5–7 overall and 3–3 in the Peach Belt Conference.
Janiyah Heyward led the Sand Sharks with 14 points, one of three players to score in double figures, along with Taniyah Bowman (13) and Lydia Gattozzi (11). Heyward also recorded a team-high four steals. The Sand Sharks forced 32 turnovers the most forced in program history.
The defense set the tone early, as neither team scored in the opening four minutes. Bowman scored the first basket of the game at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. Clayton State responded with a three-pointer, and the teams traded baskets before Kay'Mar Griffin tied the game at 8–8 with two minutes remaining. After Heyward put the Sand Sharks ahead, the Lakers answered to tie the game at 10–10 at the end of the first quarter. Clayton State committed seven turnovers in the quarter, while the Sand Sharks had five.
The second quarter began similarly, with a scoring drought to start the quarter. A Clayton State three-pointer at the 6:46 mark opened the scoring. That basket sparked a 14–2 run for the Lakers, who took a 24–12 lead while shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field during the stretch. Madison Self stopped the run with a layup as the Sand Sharks attempted to close the gap late in the half. USCB finished the half on a 6–0 run, capped by Gattozzi's basket in the final seconds, but Clayton State still led 29–20 at halftime.
Clayton State opened the second half with an 8–0 run to build its largest lead of the game at 37–20. Gattozzi ended the run at the 6:13 mark of the third quarter after securing a defensive rebound and converting a layup. The Sand Sharks responded with a 13–0 run to close the quarter, shooting 6-for-7 from the field. Heyward scored eight points during the stretch, and USCB forced six turnovers in the final four minutes. Clayton State held a narrow 37–33 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Sand Sharks scored the first three points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to one with 8:43 remaining. Clayton State pushed the lead back to five at 42–37 and later extended it to six before Gattozzi knocked down a three-pointer to make it 45–42 with 2:34 left. The Lakers rebuilt the lead to six at 50–44 and closed out the 51–46 win.
In the defensive battle, the Sand Sharks forced 32 turnovers and scored 26 points off those turnovers.
USCB will play its first home game of 2026 on Wednesday evening on January 7th against Flagler College, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
