DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The No. 5-ranked and second-seeded Lander women's basketball team scored seven points in the final 27 seconds and took the lead for good on a Zamiya Passmore basket with 16 seconds left to knock off No. 12-ranked and third-seeded Valdosta State, 63-60, in the NCAA South Regional semfinals on Saturday night in the Convocation Center.

Lander improves to 18-1 and advances to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in program history, where the Bearcats will face Peach Belt Conference rival North Georgia Monday night for the South Regional championship.

The Blazers ended their season at 18-4. 

Lander and North Georgia split their first two meetings this season. The Bearcats defeated the Nighthawks 69-63 in overtime on Jan. 23, and North Georgia topped Lander in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship, 72-70, on Mar. 6. 

Makaila Cange paced Lander with 20 points, while Miriam Recarte scored 19 points, making eight of 14 shots from the floor. Recarte also hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds and blocked three shots

Passmore scored nine of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, hitting four of eight shots, and dished a team-high nine assists. 

"It was a knock-down, drag-out type of game," said head coach Kevin Pederson. "We [said] a lot in our practices this week, [we're] going to have to be ready for a two-hour effort. You've got to be ready to fight from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. We knew coming in it was going to be a tough game and, luckily, our kids fought all the way until the end of the game to pull out a very hard-fought win against an exceptional Valdosta team." 

Lander opened up a quick lead with back-to-back buckets from Passmore and Cangé to take a 4-0 lead and forcing Valdosta State to burn a timeout just 65 seconds into the contest. The Blazers battled back to within two, knocking down a three to cut Lander's lead to 12-10 with 3:12 left in the first quarter. The Bearcats then closed the stanza on an 8-0 run, finishing with threes from Recarte and Crooke to take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter. 

Recarte's layup at the 8:06 mark put Lander up 24-15, but the Bearcats were held scoreless for the next 5:35 as Valdosta State embarked on a 9-0 run to tie the score. Recarte's jumper in the paint put the Bearcats back up 26-24 with 2:31 to go in the half and a pair of Cangé free throws made it 28-24. The Blazers canned a jumper on their final possession and Lander took a two-point lead into the locker room. 

"You have to give those kids on the floor in the second quarter credit," Pederson said. "We didn't have our best offensive lineup and some of those kids were getting a little bit fatigued, but they defended. 

Valdosta State took its first lead of the night on a three with 8:44 to go in the third quarter, the first of five lead changes in the third period. The Blazers closed the quarter with eight consecutive points over the final 2:51 and led 48-43 entering the final quarter.

Trailling 60-56 with 27 seconds to play, Lander got the ball to Recarte, who buried a corner three to pull the Bearcats within one. Valdosta State had a chance to stretch the lead to three at the free-throw line with 22 seconds left, but missed both chances. After a loose ball and a lengthy review, Lander took possession and Passmore spun into the lane to net a floater with 16 ticks remaining to give the Bearcats their first lead of the fourth quarter. The Blazers missed a three and a putback on the ensuing possession, then fouled Cangé, who knocked down one of two free throws to put Lander up 62-60. Valdosta State turned the ball over on a baseline drive and sent Passmore to the charity stripe with two seconds to go. Passmore made her second and the Blazers' desperation heave at the buzzer sailed high. 

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