COLUMBUS, Ga. - The No. 23-ranked Columbus State women's basketball team broke a 68-68 tie with 2:02 remaining in the game Tuesday night and went on to claim a 78-74 Peach Belt Conference victory over Lander at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center.

Columbus State improves to 13-3 overall and 7-2 in the PBC, while Lander moves to 12-6, 6-3.

Down 68-63 with 2:55 left to play, Sannayyiah Johnson made the first of two free throws, then Bre Crum and Ashleigh Zandi sank two each to force the tie.

CSU's Brea Walker and Michelle Mitchell made back-to-back jumpers to put the Cougars up 72-68 with 1:43 left and they maintained their lead to the end.

Columbus, which outrebounded Lander, 47-34, led at halftime, 34-30.

Crum led the Lander attack with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Zandi added 17 points, Sannayyiah Johnson 11 points and Breshay Johnson 10 points and seven rebounds.

Lander connected on 25-of-65 field goals (38.5 percent), including 3-of-16 threes (18.8 percent), and 21-of-29 foul shots (72.4 percent).

Mitchell, the 2014-15 PBC Player of the Year, netted a game-high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead CSU. Gabby Williams added 12 points and six rebounds, Britteny Tatum 11 points, and Ashley Johnson 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Cougars were 27-of-58 from the floor (46.6 percent), including 5-of-17 threes (29.4 percent), and 19-of-32 free throws (59.4 percent).

Lander will next travel to Savannah, Ga. on Saturday when they face Armstrong State in a 1:30 p.m. PBC contest.

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