GREENWOOD – Columbus State University freshman center Ashley Asouzu scored a pair of buzzer beaters off offensive rebounds at the end of regulation and also in overtime, as the Cougars outlasted Peach Belt Conference rival Lander 95-93 Thursday night at Horne Arena. Columbus spoiled a big night for Lady Bearcats forward Portia McCray, who scored a career-high 35 points.

Columbus, led by former Lander coach Jonathan Norton, improved to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in the PBC. Lander fell to 6-6, 1-2.

McCray hit 11 of 16 shots from the floor and all 13 attempts from the free-throw line to lead all scorers.

Alexis Armstrong posted her seventh double-double of the season for the Lady Bearcats with 16 points on six of 11 shooting, 10 rebounds and four steals. McCray added nine rebounds for Lander.

Alyssia Watkins and Ty'hesha Reynolds added 13 points apiece for the Lady Bearcats while Jamelia James scored 12 points, all on 3-pointers. Ashleigh Zandi led Lander with nine assists.

Tae Smith paced Columbus with a career-high 28 points, with 20 coming in the second half and overtime. She made nine of 17 shots from the floor including four 3-pointers and six of six free throws.

Carrie Washington added a double-double for the Cougars with a career-high 17 points on six of eight shooting and 12 rebounds before fouling out in regulation.

Asha Alexander scored 14 points and added a team-high seven assists for Columbus. Kayla Richards scored 12 points on five of six shooting, while Britteny Tatum and Smith had six assists apiece.

Asouzu had seven points and eight rebounds, making her biggest contributions when it mattered most with the two buzzer-beaters.

Lander made 32 of 74 shots from the floor (43 percent), 21 of 27 free throws (78 percent) and eight of 20 shots from 3-point range (40 percent). But the Lady Bearcats missed four of six free throws in overtime.

Columbus made 37 of 78 shots (47 percent), 14 of 21 free throws (67 percent) and seven of 18 from behind the arc (39 percent) while out-rebounding the Lady Bearcats 46-43.

Columbus State held the lead the first seven-plus minutes of the game, with a Richards 3-pointer giving the visitors their largest lead of the first half at 15-9 with 13:44 left. Lander tied the game for the first time when Armstrong hit a 3, making it 17-all at the 12:08 mark.

The Lady Bearcats took their first lead of the game at the halfway point of the first half when James nailed a 3, making it 22-21.

After the Cougars regained the lead, McCray's three-point play tied it at 29-all with 7:09 left. Chatil Bradford's basket gave Columbus a 33-29 advantage at the 5:38 mark. But Lander closed the first half with a 13-4 run, taking a 42-37 lead at the break. Watkins had five of the 13 points while McCray and Armstrong each scored four.

Armstrong's second 3-pointer of the game gave the Lady Bearcats their biggest lead of the game at 50-43 with 16:16 left. But the visitors responded with a 10-2 run, including a pair of baskets by Washington, to pull ahead 53-52 just inside the 13-minute mark.

McCray converted another three-point play to put Lander back on top, 57-55, with 11:48 left. And after Columbus's Tatum tied it, Reynolds and James made 3s to give the Lady Bearcats a 63-57 lead with 10:30 to go.

But the Cougars responded with a 20-6 run with Smith scoring 12 of those points on a pair of 3s, two free throws, and two more baskets. The last of those field goals gave Columbus its biggest lead of the game at 77-69 just inside the six-minute mark.

But Lander bounced back, getting two more free throws and another basket by McCray and a fast-break bucket by Watkins to pull within 79-75 with five minutes left.

Smith and McCray continued to go back and forth with Smith hitting her third 3 of the half for an 82-75 advantage and McCray responding with a bucket in the paint for a five-point Lady Bearcats deficit, 82-77, as the game crawled inside the four-minute mark.

Lander cut it to 82-80 on a Reynolds 3-pointer with 3:16 left, and then Reynolds collected a steal and was fouled and made one of two free throws, pulling Lander within 82-81 with 2:26 to go.

Tatum made one of two free throws, giving the Cougars an 83-81 lead inside the two-minute mark.

The Lady Bearcats tied it with 1:21 left when McCray hit her 12th and 13th free throws of the night, making it 83-all.

After Columbus's Alexander missed a shot, Lander grabbed a chance to take the lead back and did so with 30 seconds left when Armstrong scored on a pass from Watkins off a team offensive rebound.

The Cougars worked the clock down and called a timeout with 16 seconds to go. Inside the 10-second mark, Tatum and Smith each missed shots. But Asouzu grabbed the offensive board off Smith's miss and tapped it an at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime tied at 85.

Reynolds opened the overtime scoring for Lander, but Alexander tied the game again. Asouzu gave Columbus the lead, but Zandi tied the game at 89-all when she scored in the paint for the Lady Bearcats at the 3:03 mark.

Watkins made two free throws to give Lander a 93-91 lead with 2:12 left. But after a Cougars turnover, the Lady Bearcats missed a chance to pad their lead when they missed two free throws. Smith then gave Columbus a 92-91 lead with a 3-pointer at the 1:27 mark.

Each team missed a 3-pointer and both squads had turnovers in the next minute, setting the stage for a dramatic final 16 seconds.

Bradford made one of two free throws, giving Columbus a 93-91 lead with 16 seconds left.

Lander's Reynolds tied it at 93-all with a layup with nine seconds to go.

On the other end, Alexander missed a shot in the paint for the Cougars, but Asouzu came up with another big offensive rebound and put in the game-winner at the buzzer.