March 1, 2012
Lander Escapes Georgia Southwestern 74-66
COLUMBUS, Ga. –Peach Belt Conference east division
second-seeded Lander downed west division No. 3 Georgia
Southwestern, 74-66, in the second Peach Belt Conference Tournament
quarterfinal of the day at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center on the
campus of Columbus State University.
Lander (21-6) had two players finish in double figures in the game
with Brittni Johnson leading the way with 26 points. She scored 18
in the second half.
Johnson was 9-for-18 from the field in the game. She hit six
3-pointers. Mukia Myrick was the other Bearcat in double figures
with 21 points. She was 6-for-11 from the floor in the game.
Georgia Southwestern (18-9) was led by Terra Branch and Jessica
Bivins in its loss to the nationally 23rd-ranked Bearcats. Branch
ended her day with 19 points and five rebounds, while Bivins
chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Lander concluded its win over the Hurricanes shooting 40 percent
(24-for-60) as a team. Georgia Southwestern hit 35.1 percent
(27-for-77) of its shot attempts as a team in the game. Lander hit
12 3-pointers in the game, connecting on 41.4 percent (12-for-29)
of the long-range attempts.
The Bearcats led from start-to-finish in the game.
Myrick opened the game for Lander by banking in a 3-pointer from
the left side. The trey helped lead Lander to an 11-4 lead through
the opening three minutes of the contest. Myrick had eight of the
11 points in the opening stretch for Lander.
Lander would go ahead by as many as 12 in the first half, but with
4:30 left in the first stanza the Bearcats were up by just five at
29-24. Georgia Southwestern would outscore Lander, 6-5, the rest of
the first half to enter intermission down by four at 34-30.
Myrick finished the first half with 14 for the Bearcats. Bivins
led the way for Georgia Southwestern in the first half with 12
points.
Lander shot 44.4 percent (12-for-27) in the first half, while
Georgia Southwestern shot 33.3 percent (13-for-39) in the first
half.
The Bearcats began the second half on a 10-0 run over the first
almost three and a half minutes to own a 14-point 44-30 lead with
16:38 remaining in the game.
The 14-point lead would not last long with Georgia Southwestern
going on a quick 8-0 spurt over the next two minutes to pull back
within six points at 44-38 with a little over 14 minutes to play in
the game.
Georgia Southwestern would get as close as four over the course of
the rest of the contest, but Lander would be able to hold on for
the eight-point victory.
Lander advances to face PBC West top seed Clayton State in the
first semifinal of the day on Saturday, March 3 at the Frank G.
Lumpkin Center. Tip-off in the game is slated for 2 p.m.
