Columbus , GA – The top-seeded Clayton State women's basketball team prevailed in the first round of Thursday's Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship, but it didn't come without a battle against Lander.
The Lakers, the No. 1 seed from the PBC's West Division, won 75-73 over the Bearcats, the No. 4 seed from the East Division, at the Lumpkin Center on the campus of Columbus State University.
"We feel very fortunate to get this win," said head coach Dennis Cox. "We go way back with Lander, and it is always a great game. Coach (Kevin) Pederson is a great coach and always has them prepared. That's why they call it March Madness. I knew they would play like that. I didn't think that we played our best, but Lander had a lot to do with that."
With the game tied at 71 apiece with 50 seconds remaining, guard Bena Hanyard drained four straight free throws to lift the Lakers to the victory. Her last two gave the squad a 75-71 lead with 11 seconds remaining.
Lander didn't go away though and a shot in the paint by forward Portia McCray cut the deficit to a single basket with one second to play. McCray was fouled on the play and intentionally tried to miss the free throw for one more attempt, but the Bearcats were unable to corral the loose ball.
Hanyard had a heroic effort for the Lakers pouring in a career high 29 points in the win. She hit 7-of-14 from the floor, 2-of-3 from 3-point territory and 13-of-18 from the free throw line. She also finished with a game-high 12 boards.
The Bearcats got a similar effort from guard Ty'hesa Reynolds as she scored a game-high 32 points, hitting 12-of-25 from the floor and 5-of-10 from 3-point land.
The game went back-and-forth with 10 lead changes and was tied on seven different occasions. Lander's last lead of the game came with 3:05 remaining in the game as guard Kayla West drained a 3-pointer to give the Bearcats a 68-67 lead.
Clayton State retook the lead on the ensuing possession on a driving layup by guard Kayla Pryce, giving the Lakers a 69-68 advantage.
With the win, Clayton State advances to Saturday's semifinal game of the PBC Tournament Championships, facing host Columbus State. Tip-off for the game will be 4 p.m. at the Lumpkin Center. The win improves Clayton State to 22-5 on the season, while Lander's season ends with a 12-17 mark.
Clayton State led 37-34 at intermission. Lander's Reynolds carried the Bearcats in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 23 points. She drained 8-of-15 from the field and hit 5-of-8 from 3-point territory.
Behind Hanyard for the Lakers, forward Kiana Morton and guard Tiayra Green each scored 12 points in the win. Morton also finished with eight boards.
For Lander, McCray finished with 13 points and seven boards, followed by West with 12 points.
Lander forced the Lakers into 19 turnovers and held a 20-9 advantage on points off turnovers. The Lakers held a 26-10 lead in fast break points and outscored the Bearcats 40-32 on points in the paint.
Clayton State held a 46-34 advantage in rebounding, but Lander outscored the Lakers 17-8 in second chance points.
