Box Score GREENWOOD – Lander's Jasmine Judge was honored before Saturday's game for breaking the Peach Belt Conference record for made 3-pointers in a career, then went out and had the best 3-point shooting night of her career.
Judge posted career highs in points (27) and 3-pointers (nine) as the Lady Bearcats outscored Southern Wesleyan 47-6 in the second half en route to a 96-37 non-conference win Saturday night at Horne Arena.
Ciara Lyons also had a huge night, posting a double-double with 18 points on eight of nine shooting from the floor and 12 assists, as Lander had a remarkable 34 assists on 39 baskets.
Judge fell one 3-pointer shy of tying the PBC single-game record of 10 treys in a game set by USC Aiken players Meredith Legg and Janell Gerk. Judge made nine of 18 attempts from behind the arc while adding five steals and four assists.
Judge's previous career highs were eight 3s and 24 points versus Georgia College Dec. 4, 2010. She also tied a Duke University Cameron Indoor Stadium record with eight 3s in an exhibition game on Nov. 6.
Lander improved to 6-2 on the season with their fourth consecutive win while Southern Wesleyan fell to 3-7.
Kaylyn Small added 14 points for the Lady Bearcats while sharing game-high honors with nine rebounds. Brittni Johnson added 11 points, nine assists and five steals, while Janyce Ealey also had nine rebounds. Keondra Barnes added seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
Brianna Beauford led the Lady Warriors with seven points and four rebounds.
Southern Wesleyan made only two of 23 shots in the second half (nine percent) and 13 of 50 overall (26 percent). The Lady Warriors made eight of 12 free throws (75 percent) and three of 15 from behind the arc (20 percent).
Lander forced 28 turnovers while committing only 14, and out-rebounded Southern Wesleyan 46-30.
The Lady Bearcats made 39 of 73 shots from the floor (53 percent), six of 12 free throws (50 percent), and 12 of 33 from behind the arc (36 percent).
Judge was honored before Saturday's tipoff for surpassing 1,000 career points at Lander and for breaking the PBC record, reaching 312 career treys in Thursday night's win at No. 19 Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn. Legg, who previously held the PBC record, helped with the presentation.
Judge promptly went out and fired away, making six of her first eight long-range attempts to stake the Lady Bearcats to a big first-half lead.
Judge's first 3-pointer of the night gave Lander a 5-0 lead. After Southern Wesleyan had closed within 11-6 on Allison Droddy's layup, Judge hit four of her next five attempts from behind the arc. They covered the team's next 12 points, giving the Lady Bearcats leads of 14-6, 17-8, 20-8, and 23-8.
Judge's streak of points ended when Lyons made a free throw, then Judge threw a pass inside to Lyons for a layup that gave Lander a 26-8 lead with 13:35 left, ending a 12-0 run.
Southern Wesleyan went on a 9-2 run on Shandrice Erby's 3-pointer and a pair of Ashley Cooper baskets to close within 28-17 at the 11-minute mark.
Johnson came off a screen to hit a short jumper, starting the Lady Bearcats on another run. Lyons made a fast-break layup for a 32-19 lead, and Johnson found Judge open in the left corner for her sixth 3-pointer of the first half for a 37-20 at the nine-minute mark.
Lyons made her fifth basket in as many attempts on a breakaway layup as Lander more than doubled the score, making it 41-20 with 8:04 left. Ciara Walker ended Lander's 13-3 run with a 3-pointer, but Lady Bearcat Ashley Watts answered with a 3 of her own from the top of the key to make it 44-23 at the 5:46 mark.
Kiasiah Ham's 3-pointer led the Lady Warriors on an 8-2 run, pulling the visitors within 46-31. But Judge closed the first half with her seventh trey, swishing one from the left corner with three-tenths of a second left for a 49-31 halftime advantage.
Judge missed her first attempt in the opening seconds after halftime, but she stole a pass near mid-court and made her record-tying eighth from just left of the top of the key at the 18:22 mark as Lander opened the second half with an 18-0 run.
Forty-six seconds later, Judge made her ninth 3 from the right corner to make it 57-31 with 17:36 to go. It was Judge's 321st career three-pointer.
Small got a steal and passed to Lyons for a fast-break layup as the Lady Bearcats increased their lead to 30 points, 61-31, at the 16:41 mark. Lyons scored off another fast-break, making it 67-31 and completing the run.
Southern Wesleyan got its first points of the second half, at the 13:11 mark, on Beauford's three-point play. But the Lady Bearcats continued to extend their lead with Johnson making a 3-pointer, Barnes scoring twice inside, and Rachelle Rasley making a layup off Johnson's inbounds pass for an 80-35 lead with 7:35 left.
Walker got just Southern Wesleyan's second basket of the second half with 6:40 to go, making it 82-37. And they would not score again over the final six-plus minutes as the Lady Bearcats closed the game with a 14-0 run.
Mukia Myrick hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring as Lander surpassed the 90-point mark for a 91-37 lead with 3:20 to go.