GREENWOOD, S.C. -- A late run by Lander and key turnovers down the stretch added up to heartbreak as a jumper by Bre Crum with 1.5 seconds left in regulation gave the host Bearcats a 58-56 victory over the visiting Lady Railsplitters in the 2015-16 season opener on Friday evening in Greenwood, S.C.
The loss drops Lincoln Memorial to 0-1 on the season while Landers opens its season at 1-0. The Lady Railsplitters must now try to regroup as they have a quick turnaround for a 1 p.m. game against USC Aiken on Sunday in day two of the SAC/Peach Belt Crossover.
Lander went out to the early 4-0 lead before a three-pointer by
Shea Coker (Powell, Tenn.) sparked a 9-0 run to give the Lady Railsplitters the lead. The Bearcats then countered with four baskets to grab a 12-9 lead at the end of the first period.
The second period saw
Britney Guy (Locust Grove, Ga.) and
Brooke Taylor (White Pine, TN) each score five points to help the Lady Railsplitters outscore the Bearcats 19-8 and carry a 28-20 advantage into the half.
In the third period, the Lady Railsplitters established some low-post dominance and pulled out to a 12-point lead on a bucket by
Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) with 4:43 remaining. Lander turned up the defensive pressure and whittled the lead to as little as seven, but the Lady Railsplitters held on to take the 45-35 lead into the fourth and final quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Lander pressure force the Lady Railsplitters into nine turnovers as the Bearcats methodically chipped away at the LMU lead, going on a 13-2 run to trim the Lady Railsplitters' lead to 49-48 with 5:45 remaining. A jumper by Coker with 3:47 left put LMU up 51-48, but Lander responded with a driving layup by Crum to make the score 51-50 with 3:22 left. A Guy basket in the paint with 2:57 left gave LMU a little cushion, but on the next possession Ty'hesha Reynolds found Victoria Baldwin in the corner and Baldwin buried the three-pointer to tie the game at 53-53 with 2:18 remaining.
Following a Lander timeout to set the defense, senior
Jasmine Kelly (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) knocked down a short jumper to put the Lady Railsplitters up by two. After a missed shot on each end of the court, a foul sent Lander's Breshay Johnson to the line, where she hit one of two to cut the lead to 55-54. Both teams exchanged possessions before Guy was fouled and hit the second free throw to put LMU ahead by two. Crum then took the ball, drove into the paint and dished off to Johnson under the basket, who put it in to tie the game with eight seconds left. On the ensuing possession, an errant pass turned the ball over at midcourt, giving Lander a chance with five seconds left. Baldwin found Crum just left of the basket and she put it in to give Lander the 58-56 lead and the eventual victory.
The Lady Railsplitters were led by Guy's 11 points, while Coker chipped in with nine points. The Lady Railsplitters dominated Lander on the boards, 53-38, and were led in rebounding by
Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) with 17 rebounds and
Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) with 13. LMU hit 42.1 percent (24-57) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) from behind the arc and 57.1 percent (4-7) from the free throw line. They tied a program record with 36 total turnovers for the game.
Lander hit 30.8 percent (24-78) from the field, 21.1 percent (4-19) from three-point range and 35.3 percent (6-17) from the free throw line. Crum led the Bearcats with 17 points and she was joined by Reynolds and Johnson with 11 each.
The Bearcats outscored the Lady Railsplitters 23-11 in the fourth period and converted LMU's 36 turnovers into 29 points. Despite a 15-rebound advantage, Lincoln Memorial only scored six second-chance points. Lander scored 12 second-chance points off of 21 offensive boards.
The Lady Railsplitters turn around to face the USC Aiken Pacers at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Live stats and video links will be available at www.LMURailsplitters.com.
