GREENWOOD – Georgia College & State University scored the game's final nine points, beating Lander 69-66 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Georgia College beat the Lady Bearcats for the second time this season, improving to 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Peach Belt. Lander fell to 5-6, 1-1. The Lady Bobcats won 90-67 in Milledgeville, Ga., on Nov. 29 in a non-conference game.
Marquita Driskell paced Georgia College with 18 points, including a key basket in the final seconds. Driskell added a team-high 10 rebounds. Tiauna Brantley added 14 points and Cassie Miliner scored 13 points, including a game-tying basket with 1:50 left.
Stephanie Ponds led Lander with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Jasmine Collier scored 18 points, all on first-half 3-pointers. Tiara Good added 11 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Bryony Crouch finished with eight points and six assists. Collier hit 6-of-9 3-point attempts.
Georgia College shook off an 18-0 Lander run that ended the first half. Trailing 45-39 at halftime, the Lady Bobcats took their first lead of the second half at 49-48 on a 3-pointer by Driskell with 14:28 left.
Trailing 55-52, the Lady Bearcats scored seven unanswered points to take a 59-55 advantage on two inside baskets by Ponds and a three-point play by Crouch.
Lander grabbed its largest lead of the second half at 66-60 when Good hit a 3-pointer with 3:42 left. It would turn out to be the last points for the Lady Bearcats.
Georgia College started its 9-0, game-ending run on inside baskets by Driskell and Brantley. Driskell passed inside to Miliner for a lay-up that tied the game at 66 with 1:50 to go.
Lindsey Smith put the Lady Bobcats ahead for good with a free throw with 1:12 left, and Driskell fought off tight defense to score inside for a 69-66 lead with 14 seconds to go. Lander failed to get a shot off in the final seconds.
Smith's basket with 4:42 left in the first half capped a 15-5 run and gave the Lady Bobcats their largest lead of the game at 39-27. But it would be their last points of the half. Collier started the 18-0 run with three consecutive 3-pointers to pull Lander within 39-36 at the 2:46 mark.
After Tierra Kirkland's lay-up, Collier gave the Lady Bearcats a 41-39 lead on a 3-pointer with 1:43 to go. Collier also contributed to the next basket when she passed inside to Ponds for a lay-up. Good closed the 18-0 run with a basket to make it 45-39 at halftime. Collier's 18 first-half points came on 6-of-8 shooting from behind the arc.
Lander made 25 of 64 shots from the floor (39 percent), 8 of 11 free throws (73 percent), and 8 of 24 from 3-point range (33 percent). Georgia College hit 27 of 69 shots from the field (39 percent), 12 of 17 from the line (71 percent), and 3 of 10 from behind the arc (30 percent). Each team had 43 rebounds while Lander had 18 turnovers to Georgia College's nine.
