Lander Lander 9-19,7-13 Peach Belt

101

Columbus St. CSU 25-3,18-2 Peach Belt

Lander Lander

9-19,7-13 Peach Belt

Final

Mar. 04, 2026

101

Columbus St. CSU

25-3,18-2 Peach Belt

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Lander Lander	22	15	11	25	73
Columbus St. CSU	18	28	29	26	101

Summary
Box Score

Anne Appleton

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 3/4/2026 9:58:00 PM | Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Bearcats battle but fall to No. 8 Columbus State in PBC Quarterfinals

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Lander women's basketball saw its season come to a close Wednesday evening as the eighth-seeded Bearcats fell to top-seeded and No. 8 nationally ranked Columbus State, 101-73, in the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

Columbus State, the PBC regular-season champion, entered the postseason riding a 12-game winning streak and extended that run to 13 with the victory, improving to 25-3 overall.

Lander (9-18) showed early fight against the nationally ranked Cougars and briefly grabbed momentum in the opening quarter. The Bearcats built a 22-12 advantage late in the first period, marking their largest lead of the game. Columbus State responded quickly, however, using a surge late in the quarter and into the second to swing the momentum.

After Lander's last lead at 25-24 early in the second quarter, the Cougars began to separate behind efficient offense and transition scoring. Columbus State shot 45% from the field and connected on nine three-pointers while capitalizing on 22 Lander turnovers that led to 27 points.

Despite the final margin, the Bearcats continued to compete throughout the night, finishing with 48 points in the paint and a 45-50 rebounding effort against the conference's top seed.

Junior guard Trinity Thomas led Lander with a team-high 18 points while also pulling down 10 rebounds for a double-double. Senior Serenity Echols added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while Jazz Frierson also scored 11 points in a perfect 5-for-5 performance from the field.

Quadaija Langley, the Bearcats' senior point guard and two-time All-Peach Belt Conference First Team selection, finished with 10 points and two assists in her final collegiate game. Freshman Lauren Crosland also reached double figures with 10 points.

Lander's bench provided a boost throughout the contest, contributing 35 points.

Columbus State controlled the game in the second half, pushing its lead to as many as 32 points late in the fourth quarter to secure the tournament victory.

With the loss, Lander concludes its 2025-26 campaign after earning a berth in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament and battling the league's top-ranked team on the road.

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