ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The Lander Women's Basketball team held the Flagler Saints without a field goal for the last four and a half minutes of game time while closing the game on a 16-3 run to come back from as many as nine points down in the fourth to win, 63-59, on Wednesday evening.
Lander improves to 17-10 overall, 10-7 in PBC play while Flagler sits at 11-16 overall and 6-11 in PBC play. Because of results around the conference, the Bearcats know their opponent for the PBC Quarterfinals to be played next week in Americus, Ga. and it will be a rubber matchup with the rival North Georgia Nighthawks.
WyKira Johnson-Kelly (Franklinville, N.J.) got back to her usual scoring ways as she netted 18 points, leading all scorers while Quadaija Langley (Travelers Rest, S.C.) and Tanyia Gordon (Plant City, Fla.) led the team in rebounds, each grabbing six. The trio also combined for ten steals.
Lander got out to a quick 6-2 lead with Johnson-Kelly contributing to each of the first three baskets of the game but the Saints stormed back to take a three-point lead of their own at 14-11. However, Alicia Burgos (Milwaukee, Wisc.) hit a jumper and Johnson-Kelly netted a pair of free throws to give Lander a one point lead after one, 15-14.
Lander stretched the lead out to as many as five aided by a Amani Melendez (Woodbridge, Va.) three-pointer and a pair of Ashley Tucker (Buffalo, N.Y.) free throws, this wound up being the largest lead the Bearcats held throughout the game.Â
The Saints, however, closed the half on a 13-6 run to take a two-point lead, 28-26, into the locker room.
The third quarter saw Lander tie the game three separate times but never could regain the lead. Flagler held as much as a five-point lead in the quarter but treys from Courtney Nesbitt (Loganville, Ga.) and Aaliyah Bell (Pooler, Ga.) allowed Lander to keep close and tie the game at 42-all heading into the last ten minutes of action.
Flagler opened the final frame on a 14-5 run to open up the largest lead of the game at 56-47 heading into the media timeout.
After the jumper to give Flagler the nine-point lead, the Saints would not hit a shoot from the floor the rest of the game and Lander started to take over.
It started with sets of split free throws from Melendez and Johnson-Kelly to cut the lead down to seven before a Gordon jumper cut it to five. The teams then swapped pairs of free throws before Langley hit a three to bring Lander to within one possession at 58-56.
After Johnson-Kelly forced a Flagler turnover and split a pair of free throws off a foul on the ensuing possession, Gordon forced a steal of her own and went coast to coast to give the Bearcats the lead at 59-58 with 49 seconds to play.
The Saints were given a lifeline with a foul on the next possession but only hit one of two free throws, leaving the game tied at 59 a piece.
After a timeout from
Stephanie Gehlhausen to advance the ball, Johnson-Kelly found space and laid it in to give Lander a two-point lead at 61-59. A turnover on the next possession by the Saints gave Lander a chance to ice it with 14 seconds left at the free throw line. However, Gordon would split the pair of shots giving the Saints a chance, only down three.
However, Flagler's last shot attempt fell short and into the arms of Gordon who hit another free throw with two seconds left to officially put the game on ice.
The Bearcats close the regular season on Saturday as they travel to USC Aiken for a 5:30 PM tip-off.
