CLAYTON During a late fourth quarter timeout, Clayton boys basketball coach Denny Medlin was talking about more than just protecting the Comets five-point lead.

He was telling his team about winning a championship.

Aided by a stellar night from the free throw line, Clayton staved off a pesky Southeast Raleigh team 64-54 Friday to keep its stranglehold atop the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference. For Medlin and the Comets, Fridays game was just another piece of a bigger puzzle.

We talk about how every game is for the conference championship, Medlin said. I wanted to remind them that its not okay to let this one slip through. We had the lead and there wasnt much time left so I just wanted to remind them that its not okay to let it go.

What Worked: Theres one statistic that jumps off the page from this game: Clayton shot 33-for-38 from the free throw line. Southeast Raleigh? Just 1-for-1. By the time the Bulldogs (9-6, 3-4) shot their first and only foul shot of the game with 4:48 left in the fourth quarter -- the Comets had already hoisted up 22 of their own.

Southeast is a very physical team and I thought we were really disciplined, Medlin said. We got the kind of shots that we wanted in the paint; we werent settling for jumpers. We were pretty successful keeping the ball out of the paint defensively whereas on the other end we were trying to get the ball as deep as we can.

Not only was Clayton getting to the free throw line, the Comets were taking advantage once there. Clayton made its first 19 foul shots of the game and Gary Clark led the effort by sinking 18 of his 20.

Weve got such a good shooting team that theres no reason we shouldnt be a good free throw shooting team. Its something we emphasize more, Medlin said. Theres been games where weve shot it well but then we didnt shoot free throws well in our losses.

Turning Point: Clayton watched a 12-point halftime lead all but evaporate in the third quarter and with 1:07 remaining in the game the Comets led just 57-54. But Clayton closed things out at the foul line where else by making five of six bonus free throws in the final minute.

Putting Up Numbers: Clark scored 32 points to lead all scorers, while the Bulldogs Demetrius Sanders accounted for 26 points. Tre Armstead added nine points for Clayton.

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Clayton boys stay on championship course, top Southeast Raleigh