Box Score GREENWOOD – Lander freshman Breshay Johnson scored 25 points, leading the Lady Bearcats to an 87-63 Peach Belt Conference victory over Flagler College Saturday afternoon in their final regular season home game at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 21-4 overall and 14-2 in the Peach Belt, and will get to play another home game in the PBC Tournament at the end of this month.
The Saints fell to 7-16, 4-12.
It was Military Appreciation Day at Horne Arena.
Johnson posted her second consecutive double-double as she led all rebounders with 11. The freshman made eight of 14 shots from the floor and nine of 12 from the line.
Ty'hesha Reynolds added 15 points for the Lady Bearcats, Bre Crum scored 14 points, and Aarika Judge made five of seven shots for 13 points.
Portia McCray added eight rebounds for Lander, helping the Lady Bearcats to a 53-39 advantage on the boards.
Mylea McKenith paced Lander with five assists and four steals.
Treva Mason led Flagler with 14 points, Tiffany Hodge paced the Saints with 10 rebounds, and Allie Mano led the team with five steals.
Flagler went 0-for-15 from 3-point territory.
The Lady Bearcats made 32 of 68 shots from the floor (47 percent), 19 of 27 free throws (70 percent) and four of eight from behind the arc (50 percent).
The Saints hits 23 of 72 shots (32 percent) and 17 of 20 free throws (85 percent).
After Alex Alford's layup rallied Flagler into a 9-all tie just inside the 15-minute mark, the Lady Bearcats went on a 9-0 run. Judge converted a three-point play, and Johnson, McKenith and Crum scored to give Lander an 18-9 lead with 12:33 left.
Alford's jumper pulled the Saints within 18-13 at the 12:04 mark. But the Lady Bearcats responded with a game-changing 15-2 run over the next six minutes. Johnson and Crum each scored twice, McCray made a jumper in the paint, and Reynolds hit a 3, and added a steal and driving layup for a 33-15 advantage with six minutes to go.
Lander's first 20-point lead of the game came with 2:57 left in the first half when Johnson's free throw made it 44-24.
The Lady Bearcats closed the half strong, scoring the final six points including Judge's 3 and Cierra Kendrick's two free throws for a 50-26 lead at the break.
Judge's basket gave Lander a 54-26 lead with 18:33 left, but it was another five minutes before the Lady Bearcats would score again.
But while Lander missed six shots in a row and committed three turnovers, Flagler didn't gain much ground hitting just two of nine attempts to pull within 54-30. Johnson ended the drought with a basket in the paint, giving the Lady Bearcats a 56-30 advantage at the 13:30 mark.
Lander's first 30-point lead came with 10:06 left when Crum's two free throws made it 64-34.
The Lady Bearcats doubled up the score on Judge's baseline jumper from the left side, increasing the lead to 68-34 with 9:12 to go.
McCray's basket matched Lander's biggest lead of the game at 34 points, 72-38, at the seven-minute mark.
Johnson's eight basket of the game gave the Lady Bearcats an 81-51 lead at the three-minute mark.