GREENWOOD – LaShonda Chiles made five 3-pointers in the second half and three important free throws in the final seconds, leading the Lander Lady Bearcats to a 78-70 Peach Belt Conference victory over UNC Pembroke Monday night at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 12-5 overall and 6-1 in the Peach Belt. Pembroke fell to 7-8, 2-6. The Lady Bearcats swept the season series, having won 72-58 at Pembroke Nov. 28.
Chiles led all scorers with 23 points, making five of nine attempts from behind the 3-point line. Tiara Good made four of her six 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 20 points to go along with four steals. Stephanie Ponds added a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds while adding two blocked shots. Shannon McKever added nine points and three blocked shots.
After shooting just 27 percent from the floor in the first half (11-for-41), Lander hit 61 percent in the second half (17-for-28).
Ivy Ramsey led Pembroke with 20 points, making six of 10 shots from behind the arc. Chevoya Jackson scored 14 points and had seven steals for the Lady Braves while Natalie Ray added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Victoria Willis had six assists.
Trailing 36-34 in the first minute of the second half, the Lady Bearcats went on a 19-5 run with Chiles hitting three 3-pointers and Good making two. Chiles' third trey gave Lander a 55-41 lead with 13:15 left.
Pembroke pulled back within single digits when Ashley Morales banked in a 3-pointer to make it 61-54 at the 8:10 mark. Chiles hit a 3-pointer to give Lander its double-digit lead back at 64-54. But Talena Faison converted a three-point play to ignite an 8-0 Braves run that pulled the visitors within 64-62 with 4:42 to go.
Pembroke had a chance to tie the game with 4:02 left, but Ramsey missed two free throws. Lander answered when Chiles found Ponds inside for a lay-up and Kianna Smith got a steal and lay-up to restore the lead to 68-62 at the 3:17 mark.
But the Braves continued to battle as JaToya Kemp converted a three-point play to close the gap to 68-65 with 2:56 left. After Tierra Kirkland hit a jumper for Lander, Jackson's two free throws cut Pembroke's deficit to 70-67 with 2:12 to go.
Chiles nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:39 left to give the Lady Bearcats a 73-67 lead. Ramsey answered with a 3-pointer from the left corner as the Braves again closed within three at 73-70 with 1:16 to go.
Lander committed a turnover with 40 seconds left as the shot clock was about to expire. But Pembroke was unable to take advantage, turning the ball over 10 seconds later. Chiles hit a free throw with 27.5 seconds left and missed the second. But Kirkland grabbed the offensive rebound, got the ball to Chiles and she was fouled again. This time, Chiles hit both free throws to extend the Lady Bearcat lead to 76-70 with 23.9 seconds left. Ponds made a lay-up off a Smith steal with four seconds left to close the scoring.
The Lady Bearcats made only three of their first 19 shots (16 percent) in the first 10 minutes of the game and were trailing at that point 13-9. Good hit a 3-pointer to give Lander a 21-18 lead with 6:55 left in the half. Ramsey answered with three 3-pointers in a row to give Pembroke a 29-21 lead with less than five minutes to go.
The Lady Bearcats scored eight unanswered points on two Ponds baskets, a Good 3-pointer, and a Chiles free throw for a 29-all tie at the three-minute mark. Good's fourth 3-pointer of the half gave Lander a 34-32 lead in the final minute before Natalie Ray's bucket tied the game at 34 going into the break.
For the game, Lander made 28 of 69 shots from the floor (41 percent), 10 of 15 free throws (67 percent), and 12 of 33 from 3-point range (36 percent). Pembroke made 22 of 60 shots (37 percent), 19 of 31 free throws (61 percent), and seven of 19 from behind the arc (37 percent). The Braves had a 48-39 edge on the boards and committed 22 turnovers to Lander's 17.
