GREENWOOD – Lander's Jasmine Judge hit six 3-pointers in the first half and was among six double-figure scorers as the No. 1 ranked Lady Bearcats had a season-high scoring outburst in a 113-81 Peach Belt Conference victory over Armstrong Atlantic State Monday night at Horne Arena.
Lander (23-0 overall, 13-0 PBC) hit an astonishing 14 of 26 shots from 3-point range while extending its school record winning streak to 23 games.
Armstrong fell to 8-13 overall and 4-9 in the Peach Belt.
Lander's previous season highs in points were 97 versus Montevallo Nov. 30 and at Augusta State on Saturday.
Judge, who has taken 215 of her 221 shots this season from behind the arc, made six of 10 and led the Lady Bearcats with 18 points, all in the first half.
Shannon McKever added 16 points for Lander, Ciara Lyons and Brittni Johnson scored 13 apiece, Nardia Robbins 12 and Tasheba Butler 10. Mukia Myrick fell just shy of double figures with nine points.
McKever and Butler led the Lady Bearcats with eight rebounds apiece, Robbins was tops in assists with seven, while Lyons had five steals. Myrick added six assists and four steals.
Armstrong Atlantic placed five players in double figures. The Pirates were led by Mauri Wells, who posted a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Arpine Amirkhanyan also scored 15 points while Jazmin Walker and Brooke Long added 14 points apiece. Ashley Slade added 12 points.
Lander had a big shooting night, making 40 of 75 shots from the floor (53 percent) including 54 percent from behind the arc. The Lady Bearcats also made 19 of 26 free throws (73 percent) while recording 28 assists on their 40 baskets.
Armstrong, which had a 39-26 edge on the boards, actually shot for a higher percentage than Lander, hitting 26 of 48 (54 percent). The Pirates nailed seven of 15 from 3-point range (47 percent) and 22 of 34 free throws (65 percent).
The 3-pointer was an early weapon for Lander, and with Armstrong hanging tight, the Lady Bearcats used the 3-pointer again to open up a big lead.
Judge's first two 3s of the night gave Lander a 3-1 lead and tied the game at 6. The second trey started an 11-2 run that gave the Lady Bearcats a 14-8 lead on Butler's jumper with 14:32 left.
Johnson and Robbins hit 3s to give Lander leads of 17-10 and 20-15.
After Walker's free throws pulled the Pirates within 21-17 at the nine-minute mark, the Lady Bearcats hit 3-pointers on three of their next five possessions. It was first Judge, then Johnson and then Judge again during the 9-0 run, making it 30-17 with 7:14 left.
McKever's jumper interrupted the 3-pointer streak, but Judge's fifth and sixth 3s extended leads to 35-19 and 39-25.
Lander's final five field goals were inside the arc over the rest of the first half with Johnson, Butler, Robbins, Myrick and Keondra Barnes scoring for a 49-32 advantage at the break.
Judge (6-for-8) and Johnson (2-for-3) were a combined eight of 11 from 3-point range in the first half.
Armstrong came out battling early in the second half with Walker, Amirkhanyan and Wells scoring consecutive baskets to pull the visitors within 53-43 with 16:46 left. Wells nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Pirate deficit to single digits at 55-46 at the 16:06 mark.
But after three scoreless possessions by each team, Johnson found Kaylyn Small inside for an old-fashioned three-point play, and Butler scored off Judge's steal to extend Lander's lead back to 60-46 with 14:16 left.
Marissa Rimbert's jumper pulled Armstrong within 10 points again at 61-51 at the 13:16 mark. But the Lady Bearcats made another push, scoring the game's next nine points including seven unanswered by Myrick, including two free throws, a 3-pointer and a jumper for a 70-51 lead with 11:49 left.
Lander continued to maintain its lead in the 20-point range with Johnson hitting a 3-pointer and McKever converting a three-point play, making it 78-57 at the 9:50 mark. The Lady Bearcats hit the 80-point plateau on a layup by Robbins with 9:19 to go.
Johnson's layup off a steal by Lyons sent Lander past the 90-point mark, making it 91-65 with 5:32 left.
The Lady Bearcats surpassed 100 points when Robbins made a layup, giving the hosts a 101-74 lead with 3:21 to go.
Brianna Webb hit Lander's 13th and 14th treys of the night in the final minutes. Chentieh Ladson's basket at the buzzer gave the Lady Bearcats their final points of the game.
