GREENWOOD, S.C. – Clayton State (10-5, 6-3 PBC) clawed to within five points in the fourth quarter but could not overcome a double-digit deficit they faced most of the day as Lander (12-5, 9-2 PBC) pulled away for a 95-79 victory in an NCAA Division II women's basketball game on Monday, January 21.
 
Senior center Aleisha Merriweather (Augusta, Ga.) led the Lakers with 17 points along with six rebounds and a pair of steals while junior guard Taneria Wilson (Fort Pierce, Fla.) finished with 13 points and four caroms.
 
Redshirt-senior center Shaquoria Miles (Garysburg, N.C.) pulled down eight boards to go with five points and senior guard TaKwana Bland (Williamston, N.C.) and redshirt-junior guard Madison Newby (Lawrenceville, Ga.) added 11 and eight points, respectively. Redshirt-senior guard Monica Alexander (Richmond, Va.) rounded things out with seven points, three rebounds and the first block of her career.
 
Over the first 4:14 the clubs would be separated by no more than three points as they combined to score 27, coming in at Lander up 14-13. That would change over the next 3:01 as the Bearcats put together a 9-1 run to extend to a 23-14 margin before closing the frame with a 25-18 advantage.
 
It would not get much better in the opening minutes of the second as LU scored 15 of the first 19 points behind four different scorers to make it 40-22 with 5:54 on the clock. At that point junior center Brittany Williams (Albany, Ga.) provided five points of a 7-0 run that cut it to an 11 point deficit before that was matched on the other end on the way to a 51-36 halftime spread.
 
That lead would grow to 21 points over the first 1:40 as Symone Starks delivered five straight points as part of a 7-1 stretch. It would not stay that way, however, as the Lakers managed to cut it back to 12 points, 69-57, by the end of the third.
 
The fourth would see Clayton State open with a pair of buckets and a free throw to pull to within 69-62 by the 8:29 mark. With the score at 75-65 a minute and a half later a pair of baskets from Bland would power a 6-2 burst that narrowed it all the way to five points at 76-71 but that would be as close as they would get.
 
From there Lander used a 9-1 run to put the game out of reach at 85-72 with 2:42 left on the clock. The Lakers did manage to get it back to a 10 point margin, 87-77, before the Bearcats closed out the 95-79 decision.
 
Jessica Harris and Starks each put up 26 points to lead LU with the former adding eight assists and five rebounds. Mylea McKenith wasn't far behind with 19 points to go with six assists, three steals and as many rebounds while Tabitha Dailey finished with 10 points and eight caroms.
 
The Lakers series of three road games in five days concludes as they head to No. 20/22 North Georgia on Wednesday, January 23. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in Dahlonega, Georgia.