Lander Lander 7-12,5-7 Peach Belt

Clayton St. CSU 8-11,5-7 Peach Belt

Lander Lander

7-12,5-7 Peach Belt

Final

Jan. 28, 2026

Clayton St. CSU

8-11,5-7 Peach Belt

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
Lander Lander	20	16	25	12	16	89
Clayton St. CSU	17	20	18	18	14	87

Summary
Box Score

Hailey Franklin

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/28/2026 8:35:00 PM | Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Tilus’ Putback Lifts Lander Past Clayton State in OT Thriller

MORROW, Ga. - Kayla Tilus delivered one of her best performances in the Blue and Gold, sealing the game with a putback in the final seconds of overtime to lift Lander women's basketball to an 89-87 road victory over Clayton State on Wednesday night.

The win ended Lander's road trip on a high note as the Bearcats improved to 7-12 overall and 5-7 in Peach Belt Conference play, matching Clayton State's league mark in a game that featured 11 ties and 20 lead changes.

Quadaija Langley led all scorers with 21 points and delivered in the clutch, knocking down two free throws late in regulation to force overtime. The senior guard added another all-around effort to her resume in a game that swung back and forth from start to finish.

Tilus followed with 15 points and filled the stat sheet with season highs of eight rebounds, two assists, and one block. After Clayton State tied the game in the extra period, Tilus secured an offensive rebound and converted the decisive layup to seal the Bearcats' overtime win on the road.

"We knew it was going to be a battle — games now are all about wanting it more," head coach Nicole Shelwick said. "The fight, effort, will, and short-term memory after mistakes had to come together. This was the ultimate team win. They deserved this one!"

Lander placed four players in double figures, with freshman Lauren Crosland also scoring 13 points and junior Trinity Thomas adding 15. Thomas contributed across the board, leading the team with five steals while pulling down seven rebounds and recording a block.

Ansley Gartrell anchored the glass with a team-high nine rebounds as Lander controlled the boards 46-33, including a decisive 22-14 edge in offensive rebounds. The Bearcats also outscored Clayton State 19-9 in second-chance points.

Lander built its largest lead of 10 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Lakers answered to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Bearcats made the necessary plays down the stretch, answering a late Clayton State basket before Tilus' putback sealed the win in the final seconds.

The Bearcats finished the night shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range, grinding out the road win in one of the season's most competitive conference matchups.

Lander will look to carry its momentum back on the road Saturday, Jan. 31, when the Bearcats face USC Beaufort in an afternoon matchup. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. in Bluffton, S.C.

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