Women's Basketball 2/23/2021 12:00:00 AM

No. 2 Lander wraps regular season with road trip at UNC Pembroke

GREENWOOD – The No. 2-ranked Lander women's basketball team concludes the regular season with a chance to claim an outright Peach Belt Conference title on Wednesday as the Bearcats travel to UNC Pembroke for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

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Where to Watch: PBC Sports Network

Live stats: StatBroadcast

First Met: Jan. 17, 1993 (69-63 UNC Pembroke)

Last Met: Feb. 3, 2021 (91-53 Lander)

Lander Record: 15-0, 13-0 PBC

UNC Pembroke Record: 2-10, 2-9 PBC

Last Five Against UNC Pembroke: 5-0

Next Game For Lander: Mar. 3, 2021 vs. TBD (5:30 pm)

STORYLINES

Lander and UNC Pembroke are set to meet on the basketball court for the 60th time on Wednesday. The Bearcats lead the all-time series 39-20 and have won eight in a row against the Braves.
Lander took the first meeting between the two teams this season, winning 91-53 inside Finis Horne Arena in Greenwood on Feb. 3. The last time the Bearcats and Braves met in Pembroke was Jan. 15, 2020, when Lander won 67-56.
Wednesday's game marks the regular-season finale for the Bearcats. Lander will host a PBC Tournament semifinal game on Mar. 4.
The Bearcats are coming off an 83-62 win against Columbus State on Monday in Greenwood. Lander was led by sophomore guard Zamiya Passmore, who posted her sixth 20-plus point performance of the season, with 21 points, four assists, and four steals. She was followed by three double-figure performances from junior center Miriam Recarte (17 points), sophomore forward Makaila Cange (17 points), and sophomore guard Jakiyah Parker.
UNC Pembroke dropped a 69-65 decision to Flagler on Monday, marking their second consecutive loss to the Saints after a 70-66 defeat on Saturday.
Both of UNCP's wins this season have come at home as the Braves defeated Georgia College 53-50 on Jan. 24 and Augusta 61-60 in overtime on Feb. 10.
Gabby Smith continues to lead the way for UNCP in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (5.2).
The Braves rank fourth in the PBC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.8.
UNCP is led by John Haskins, who is in his 17th season with the Braves women's basketball program. During his time with the UNCP women, he has amassed 197 wins.
The Bearcats currently hold a one-game lead over North Georgia for first place in the Peach Belt Conference and can clinch their second consecutive outright PBC regular-season title with a win or a North Georgia loss.
The Bearcats would also earn back-to-back outright PBC regular-season titles for the first time in program history with a win or a North Georgia loss.
UNC Pembroke currently sits in ninth place in the Peach Belt Conference standings with a 2-9 mark in conference play.
UNCP has had five games decided by five points or fewer this season.
The Braves tallied 18 assists on 23 made baskets in Monday's loss to Flagler.
Lander's 25 first-quarter points against Columbus State marked the third time this season the Bearcats have netted at least 25 points in the first quarter.
Passmore leads the Peach Belt Conference with 19.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Lander shot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc against the Cougars on Monday, the second-highest percentage for the Bearcats this season from long range.
Recarte did not record a block on Monday, snapping her streak of 16 consecutive games with at least one rejection. She ranks second in the PBC with 2.7 blocks per contest.
A win would make Lander just the fourth team in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball history to record an undefeated regular season, joining 2000-01 Columbus State, 2010-11 Clayton State, and 2012-13 Clayton State.
Lander ranks seventh nationally in scoring margin at +20.6 points per game.