No. 2 Bearcats host Augusta Saturday afternoon

GREENWOOD – The No. 2-ranked Lander women's basketball team continues a three-game homestand as the Bearcats face Augusta on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. inside Finis Horne Arena.

QUICK HITTERS

Where to Watch: Bearcat Broadcasting Network

Live stats: LanderBearcats.com

First Met: Dec. 3, 1977 (76-62 Augusta)

Last Met: Dec. 18, 2020 (67-45 Lander)

Lander Record: 13-0, 11-0 PBC

Augusta Record: 5-5, 4-2 PBC

Last Five Against Augusta: 5-0

Next Game For Lander: Feb. 22, 2021 vs. Columbus State (5:30 pm)

STORYLINES

Lander trails Augusta 34-33 in the all-time series, but has 14 consecutive wins over the Jaguars. The Bearcats defeated the Jaguars 67-45 in the season opener.
Lander is outscoring its opponents 75.5-54.3 and holding them to 34.3 percent shooting, including 24.3 percent from three-point range. Among the 216 Division II programs, the Bearcats rank seventh with a +21.2 scoring margin. Additionally, their 16-game winning streak ranks third and they are one of just seven unbeaten teams in the country.
Zamiya Passmore leads the team with 18.8 points and 6.6 assists per contest. Both marks lead the Peach Belt Conference.
Makaila Cange is averaging 17.2 points and 12.8 rebounds, while playing 30.2 minutes per game.
Miriam Recarte is averaging 11.0 points and 7.8 rebounds, while adding 40 blocks and 22 assists.
Amiaya Melvins has started all but one contest for the Bearcats this season, while averaging 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Sarah Crews is averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Against Flagler on Wednesday, she netted a season-high 14 points.
Tyasia Freeman recorded five points, two rebounds, and one steal against Flagler. The Waynesboro, Ga., native has scored in each of her last three outings.
The duo of Cangé and Recarte have accounted for 46.6 percent of Lander's rebounds this season.
Cangé netted a career-high 29 points on 13-of-15 shooting in the win over Flagler, bumping her conference-leading shooting percentage to 66.4 percent on the year.
Passmore dished out a career-high 14 assists against the Saints on Wednesday, marking the second time this year she's recorded double-digit assists.
Lander is ranked No. 2 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the D2SIDA Poll.
With the win on Saturday, Kevin Pederson passed Jay Sparks as the Peach Belt Conference's all-time leader in women's basketball conference victories. During Pederson's tenure, the Bearcats are 207-93 in conference games.
Augusta currently sits in third place in the Peach Belt Conference standings with a 5-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in conference play.
Leading the Jaguars is Zairya West, who is averaging 13.0 points per game. West ranks seventh in the PBC in free-throw percentage, shooting 71.4 percent from the line.
Augusta has the second-best defense in the PBC, holding opponents to 59.4 points per game.
Lander's win over Flagler marked the Bearcats best shooting performance of the season, as Lander shot 52.8 percent from the floor.
Passmore has recorded at least four assists in every game she's played this season.
Lander's 28 assists against the Saints were a season high and the most in a game for the Bearcats since Lander dished 29 in a 107-70 win over Francis Marion on Mar. 6, 2019.
Cangé leads the PBC in offensive rebounds with 50, while Melvins is tied for second with 43.
Recarte is fifth in the nation with 3.1 blocks per game and sixth in total blocks with 40.