IDAHLONEGA, Ga. -
Miriam Recarte got Lander off to a big start while teammate
Aniaya Jester helped close it out as the Bearcats survived Catawba's furious rally, advancing into the NCAA Southeast Regional semifinals with an 80-68 victory Friday afternoon at the University of North Georgia's Convocation Center.
No. 2 seed Lander improved to 23-4 and will face Peach Belt Conference rival Georgia Southwestern Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The No. 3 seed Hurricanes were down 24-8 after one quarter but rallied to beat Barton earlier Friday.
Saturday's winner will play for the Southeast Regional title Monday at 7 p.m. for the right to go to the national Elite Eight in Birmingham, Ala. The Bearcats reached the Final Four last season and have made eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
No. 7 seed Catawba, which cut a 22-point deficit to five, ended its season at 23-7.
Jester led Lander with 24 points. But more importantly, the junior guard scored 10 points in a row to help Lander pull away in the final five-plus minutes. Jester did much of her damage from the free-throw line, hitting 11 of 14.
Recarte had a sizzling first half and made her fifth 3-pointer in the second minute of the third quarter. By then, she had matched her career-high with 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the floor, including 5-for-7 from behind the arc.
The senior center did not score again, finishing with 23 points for the Bearcats while adding two blocked shots and three steals. She scored 20 points in the first half in only 13 minutes due to two early fouls.
Sarah Crews added nine points while leading Lander with seven assists.
Amiaya Melvins paced the Bearcats with 12 rebounds.
Makaila Cange was held well below her season average, finishing with six points and six boards. The All-Southeast Region first-teamer also battled foul trouble.
Lyrik Thorne paced the Indians with 19 points while Sara McIntosh added 15.
Lander built a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes and 10 seconds of the game when Crews swished a 3-pointer from the right wing, Recarte spun around a defender for a layup, and Crews knocked down a long jumper just inside the arc.
Recarte made a pair of long baseline jumpers and a 3-pointer while
Vashae Rideout also hit a 3-pointer helping grow the Bearcat lead to 19-11 with 1:24 to go.
Jakiyah Parker's 3-pointer with 18 seconds left gave the Blue and Gold a 24-13 advantage going into the second quarter.
Rideout's 3-pointer from the right wing, Parker's trey from the left wing, and Rideout's layup gave Lander a 32-14 lead with 6:48 left in the half.
The advantage grew to 20 when Recarte hit the Bearcats' seventh 3-pointer of the game, making it 37-17 at the six-minute mark.
Recarte stayed red hot, hitting two more treys and a basket in the paint as she had 20 points already on 8-for-9 shooting as the Lander lead was 45-23 with 2:18 to go, its largest advantage of the game.
Catawba ended the half on a 7-0 run as the Bearcats led 45-30 at the intermission.
Recarte tied her career high in points when she made another 3-pointer, giving Lander a 50-33 lead with eight minutes left in the third.
Thorne's steal and layup pulled the Indians within 54-43 with 4:30 to go, their smallest deficit since the end of the first quarter. Catawba pulled within single digits when Thorne scored off another Bearcat turnover, making it 54-45 with 3:56 left.
Thorne's 3-pointer pulled the Indians within 54-48 with 3:19 to go, completing a 15-3 run.
Melvins scored on a back-door layup off a pass from Cange, extending Lander's lead to 58-50 at the two-minute mark.
Catawba pulled within six for the third time on Mercedes Wampler's 3-pointer, cutting it to 60-54 with 44 seconds to go. Jester made one of two free throws to close the third quarter, keeping the Bearcats ahead 61-54.
Shemya Stanback's driving layup pulled the Indians within 61-56 with nine minutes left and they had a chance to close within a possession, but Recarte's steal prevented that opportunity. Cange's two free throws gave Lander a 63-56 lead inside the eight-minute mark.
With the Bearcat lead down to five again, Cange scored inside and then Crews hit a baseline jumper off the glass, was fouled and completed the three-point play as the advantage increased back to double digits at 68-58 with six minutes to go.
Jester scored on an offensive put-back, giving Lander more breathing room at 70-58 with 5:35 left. The basket started her run of 10 consecutive points for her team.
Jester drove around defenders for a layup as the Bearcats led 74-63 with 3:18 to go.
Jester stole the ball in the paint on the defensive end and drove the length of the court for a layup, making it 78-63 with 1:27 left. Crews and Melvins each hit one of two free throws to close the scoring.
