DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Another outstanding Lander women's basketball season came to an end Monday night, this time in excruciating fashion as the Bearcats rallied from a double-digit deficit, had four starters foul out and lost to North Georgia 59-57 as
Carley Culberson's potential game-winning 3-point shot attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Lander trailed by 13 at halftime, outscored the Nighthawks 25-7 in the third quarter to take the lead before losing four players to fouls in the fourth, and still almost pulled out the Southeast Regional championship game at the UNG Convocation Center.
The No. 11-ranked Bearcats, making their eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, saw their season end at 24-5.
They managed to have another prolific season despite losing All-American point guard
Zamiya Passmore to a season-ending injury in January.
No. 5 North Georgia ended the game on a 7-0 run, improving to 28-3 and advancing to the Elite Eight to be played in Birmingham, Ala., March 21, 23 and 25.
Last year, Lander beat the Nighthawks in the Southeast Regional final, won another game and advanced to the Final Four.
Lander and North Georgia were meeting in the Southeast Regional championship game for the third consecutive season and Monday's rematch was a doozy.
Miriam Recarte,
Makaila Cange,
Aniaya Jester and
Amiaya Melvins all fouled out. Lander, whistled for 28 fouls, finished the game with its last five available players.
Cange still recorded her 17th double-double of the season, leading the Bearcats with 23 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 1:48 left.
Jakiyah Parker helped kick off Lander's big third-quarter comeback with a pair of baskets and wound up with 11 points.
Jester scored 10 points and added three assists before fouling out with 1:31 to go. Melvins contributed eight points and eight rebounds before fouling out with two seconds left.
Recarte, a huge defensive presence, was the first to foul out, exiting with 5:05 left. She finished with five points.
Jamari McDavid had a huge first half for the Nighthawks and led them with 20 points on her way to Regional MVP honors.
Julianne Sutton added 17 points while leading North Georgia with 11 rebounds. Caroline Martin added 11 points.
Cange's layup pulled Lander within 10-8 with 4:43 left in the first quarter. But the Bearcats would not score again in the first and trailed 14-8 going into the second period.
Parker's 3-pointer from the left corner cut Lander's deficit to 16-13 with 7:39 left in the half. But an 11-4 run pushed North Georgia's lead to 27-17 with 3:22 to go.
Josie Earnhardt's 3-pointer gave the Nighthawks a 33-19 advantage with 1:21 left. North Georgia led 34-21 at the break as the Bearcats made only 7-of-29 shots from the floor in the first half.
Lander came roaring back early in the third, opening with an 11-1 run to make it a one-possession game. Parker swished a jumper near the free-throw line, Recarte hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Parker made another jumper, Jester hit a driving layup and then Jester made two free throws to pull the Blue and Gold within 35-32 with 6:37 to go.
Sutton's layup gave the Nighthawks a 41-34 advantage with 4:10 left in the third. Once again, the Bearcats responded as they closed the third quarter with a 12-0 run. Cange converted a three-point play, made a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and scored off an entry pass from Melvins to give Lander its first lead since it was 2-0, making it 42-41 at the two-minute mark.
The Bearcat run continued, growing to 12 unanswered points when Jester scored on a back-door pass from Cange and then Melvins grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it in. Lander outscored North Georgia 25-7 in the quarter on 10 of 15 shooting and led 46-41 going into the fourth.
The Nighthawks opened the final quarter with a 6-1 run, tying it at 47-all with 7:15 left when Sutton made one of two free throws as Cange was whistled for her fourth foul.
The Bearcats grabbed the lead back at 51-47 when Jester found Melvins open under the basket for a layup, and then Jester intercepted a North Georgia pass and made a driving layup.
Melvins hustled inside on a Lander missed 3-pointer, grabbed the rebound and laid it in for a 53-49 advantage with 5:32 to go.
Jester had to sit for a while after her fourth foul and Recarte fouled out with 5:05 left. But Cange re-entered the game and made two free throws, giving the Bearcats a 55-50 lead with 4:40 left.
After Cange grabbed two offensive rebounds to keep a possession alive, Melvins scored giving Lander a 57-52 lead at the three-minute mark.
As Cange fouled out with 1:48 left, Sutton made a free throw to pull North Georgia within 57-55.
With 1:31 to go, Jester missed a shot and then fouled out. Sutton made one of two free throws again, cutting the Nighthawk deficit to 57-56.
Lander was called for an offensive foul with one minute to go. But North Georgia turned the ball back over to the Bearcats on a charge with 38 seconds left.
The wild finish continued as Lander was called for a 10-second violation with 25 seconds to go.
Sutton's put-back gave the Nighthawks a 58-57 lead with 20 seconds left.
Melvins held the ball for a few seconds and then raced to the right side, putting up an off-balance baseline shot that went over the rim and was rebounded by Sutton with three seconds to go. Sutton was fouled by Melvins, who became the fourth Bearcat to foul out. Sutton made the first free throw but missed the second, rebounded by
Cierra Revelle, and Lander called a timeout with 1.2 seconds left.
The timeout enabled the Bearcats to advance the ball to their offensive end. Lander had its last five available players in the game.
Sarah Crews inbounded the ball to Culberson in the left corner. Culberson launched a 3-point attempt as the buzzer sounded that looked good but it bounced off the rim and fell to the floor, sending a relieved North Georgia team to the Elite Eight.
