DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Lander women's basketball's search for its first Peach Belt Conference win continued Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats dropped a 72-61 road decision to North Georgia.
The loss moves Lander to 2-7 overall and 0-3 in Peach Belt Conference play, while North Georgia improved to 7-4 on the season and remained undefeated in league action at 3-0.
The opening quarter featured a back-and-forth start, with Lander trading baskets with the Nighthawks and grabbing an early five-point advantage at 18-13 midway through the period. North Georgia closed the quarter with a late push to even the score, setting the tone for a tightly contested first half.
In the second quarter, North Georgia began to find its rhythm offensively, using strong ball movement and second-chance opportunities to slowly build a lead. Lander stayed within striking distance behind timely scoring from
Quadaija Langley and
Alindria Dudley, but the Nighthawks closed the half on a run to take a modest advantage into the break.
Lander kept the contest close early in the third quarter and briefly seized momentum at the 8:22 mark, taking a 35-34 lead. North Georgia responded with a decisive run to reclaim control and never trailed again, eventually building its lead to as many as 17 points late in the fourth quarter.
Langley led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, adding six assists to pace the Bearcats. Dudley followed with 18 points, three steals, and two 3-pointers.
Trinity Thomas was the third Lander player to reach double figures, finishing with 12 points while adding five rebounds and two blocks on the defensive end.
Serenity Echols led the Bearcats on the glass, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with seven points. Lander shot 37.5% from the field and connected on seven 3-pointers, matching North Georgia from beyond the arc.
North Georgia held a 44-35 edge in rebounding and finished with 23 assists, while Lander was limited to just 13. The Nighthawks also capitalized on turnovers, scoring 28 points off of 22 Lander miscues. Lander shot an efficient 85.7% from the free-throw line but was unable to overcome the turnovers and a 38-28 disadvantage in points in the paint.
Up next, Lander steps away from conference action to face Allen University (S.C.) on Thursday, Dec. 18, in Columbia. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
