COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Lander women's basketball team opened Peach Belt Conference play on the road Wednesday evening, falling 77-61 to No. 20 Columbus State, as ranked by the WBCA, inside the Lumpkin Center. The Bearcats dropped to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in the league, while the nationally ranked Cougars improved to 6-1 and 1-0 in PBC action.
Lander traded baskets early and held its own throughout a competitive first quarter, which featured four ties and four lead changes.
Alindria Dudley scored 6 of the Bearcats' 12 points in the period, keeping the pace tight before Columbus State closed the frame with an 18-12 lead.
The Cougars created separation in the second quarter, stringing together defensive stops and scoring 21 points to stretch the margin to 39-21 at halftime. Turnovers proved costly for Lander as Columbus State converted miscues into 22 first-half points.
The Bearcats came out of the break with renewed energy, delivering their best offensive stretch of the night. Lander shot 64.3% in the third quarter and knocked down 3-of-5 three pointers during that span.
Quadaija Langley and Dudley continued to carry the offense, helping trim the deficit and inject momentum into the lineup. Langley connected on two of the Bearcats' threes in the quarter. But the Cougars countered with timely shooting of their own and maintained a double-digit lead heading into the fourth.
Despite getting to the free-throw line 14 times in the final period, Lander couldn't string together enough stops to complete a comeback. Columbus State's depth ultimately made the difference, as the Cougar bench outscored the Bearcat reserves 29-14 and helped secure the home conference win.
Langley delivered a dominant performance, leading Lander with 20 points, three rebounds, and four steals on 6-of-9 shooting. Dudley followed with 17 points and five boards, while
Serenity Echols added seven rebounds, four points, and two steals off the bench. The Bearcats finished 40.4% (21-of-52) from the field and won the rebounding battle 36-33, but were limited by 32 turnovers.
Columbus State was paced by Letiya Reeves' 22 points and Alana Hankerson's 17 off the bench. The Cougars shot 47.5% overall and turned Lander's turnovers into 36 points to keep control throughout the night.
Lander continues its PBC slate this weekend, returning home in search of its first conference victory with a Saturday matchup against USC Beaufort. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at
Finis Horne Arena.
