PBC YEARBOOK
2 5
Women ’ s Basketball
Y E A R S
40
Lander Holds off Columbus State to Claim PBC Women ’ s Tournament Title
Behind 25 points from Tournament MVP Bre Crum , the Lander Bearcats opened up an early lead and held off Columbus State University 72-68 in the championship game of the PBC Tournament on Sunday .
Lander clinched a berth in the NCAA Division II Women ’ s Basketball Tournament with a 72-68 victory over Columbus State to win the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship . Crum put the Lady Bearcats in the lead for good with 41 seconds to go .
The win came on Columbus ’ s home floor , handing the Cougars their only loss of the season at the Frank G . Lumpkin Center .
The PBC East Division champion Lady Bearcats improved to 25-6 with their 13th consecutive victory , avenging their last loss . PBC West Division winner Columbus fell to 24-5 . Lander was making its sixth appearance in the PBC championship game and also won the title in 1999 , 2008 and 2009 .
Crum posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds , Breshay Johnson added 16 points and eight boards for the Lady Bearcats , and Ty ’ Hesha Reynolds scored 14 points .
Columbus ’ s Michelle Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points while Ashley Asouzu added 17 points and nine rebounds .
Lander made 26 of 52 shots from the floor ( 50 percent ), 15
of 19 free throws ( 79 percent ) and five of 16 from behind the arc ( 31 percent ).
Columbus hit 29 of 66 shots ( 44 percent ), eight of 16 free throws ( 50 percent ) and two of 11 from 3-point range ( 18 percent ) while holding a slim 35-33 edge on the boards . The Lady Bearcats led 36-30 at the intermission . Asouzu ’ s baseline jumper pulled Columbus within 60-55 with 6:55 to go , and Erin Morrow ’ s layup cut the deficit to three . Tatum ’ s running layup closed the Cougars within 62-59 with 5:34 left .
But Crum scored again and Johnson made a pair of free throws , extending the lead to 66-59 at the five-minute mark .
Columbus was back within a possession at 66-63 on Mitchell ’ s layup with 3:32 left . Mitchell made two of three free throws as she was fouled on a 3-point attempt , cutting it to 66-65 with 2:49 to go .
Despite committing her fourth foul , Reynolds stayed in the game and made a driving basket off the glass to up Lander ’ s lead to 68-65 with 2:28 left .
Mitchell ’ s three-point play tied the game for the first time at 68- all with 50 seconds to go .
But Crum would not be denied . She drove from the perimeter around to the left of the basket and made an acrobatic layup to put the Lady Bearcats back on top with 40 seconds left at 70-68 .
Mitchell air balled a 3-point attempt with 15 seconds to go and
Lander got the rebound . But Columbus stole the ball back and called
2015-16