GREENWOOD - The Lander women's basketball team dropped a Peach Belt Conference home contest Tuesday evening, falling 66-59 to Clayton State at
Finis Horne Arena.
Clayton State (4-5, 2-1 PBC) set the tone early, jumping out to a 23-12 lead after the first quarter and never losing control. The Lakers led for 38:44 of the 40-minute contest, while Lander (2-7, 0-3 PBC) held the advantage for just 42 seconds.
Lander responded with its strongest stretch in the second and third quarters, trimming the deficit to single digits behind improved shooting and success at the free-throw line. The Bearcats outscored Clayton State 20-15 in the second quarter and 18-12 in the third, pulling within striking distance before heading into the final period.
Clayton State regained momentum in the fourth quarter, holding Lander to 2-of-13 shooting to close out the game. The Lakers finished the night shooting 45.6% from the field and outscored the Bearcats 34-14 in the paint, while also capitalizing on turnovers with 32 points off Lander miscues.
Lander held a 39-29 rebounding advantage and pulled down 21 offensive boards, converting those efforts into 17 second-chance points. The Bearcats also went 19-of-26 from the free-throw line, but 30 turnovers proved costly.
Trinity Thomas led Lander with 17 points and eight rebounds, while
Quadaija Langley added 14 points, shooting 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Lauryn Hunt chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds, and
Kayla Tilus contributed 10 points and two steals off the bench.
Clayton State was paced by Jasmyn Burts with 19 points, while Kyla Greene added 17 points for the Lakers.
Lander continues Peach Belt Conference play later this week as the Bearcats look to bounce back and secure their first league victory of the season on the road at North Georgia this Saturday, Dec. 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Dahlonega.
