Special to Daly Dose Of Hoops
GREENWOOD, S.C. - The 2020 Peach Belt Conference Basketball Championships concluded on Sunday, and the Lander Bearcats declared Greenwood, S.C. Titletown, U.S.A., claiming both the men’s and women’s Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championships.
Men’s Semifinal - #1 UNC Pembroke vs #5 Columbus State
The PBC Tournament started off with a bang as the No. 5 seed Columbus State Cougars upset the top seed UNC Pembroke Braves in overtime, 90-87.
In a back-and-forth game that featured 16 lead changes and 18 ties, Columbus State trailed at halftime 41-40, but a buzzer-beating three by Bryant Givens gave the Cougs all of the momentum in the second half.
UNC Pembroke was able to come back from a seven-point deficit in the last five minutes, and sent the game into overtime thanks to a layup by Levi Spencer with two seconds left on the clock.
Both teams went blow for blow in the overtime period, until Columbus State’s Landrius Horton called game with a 3-point shot with 0.8 seconds left on the clock to give the Cougars the upset win and a championship berth.
Horton finished the game with a double-double, recording 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Cougars. Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the floor in the game.
Men’s Semifinal - #3 Lander vs #7 Georgia College
Lander used a 39-18 run in the first half and shot 60 percent from the floor to end Georgia College’s cinderella story with a 104-67 beatdown at Horne Arena.
The Bearcats shot 38 percent from behind the arc to help earn the school’s largest win ever in the PBC Tournament.
Tyler Brevard led Lander with 25 points and Zane Rankin came off the bench and hit three treys.
Women’s Semifinal - #1 Lander vs #4 Columbus State
A 31-10 run in the third quarter helped Lander pull away from Columbus State and gave the Bearcats the 92-67 victory.
After falling behind early, Lander ended the first quarter on a 15-0 run to pull ahead to 23-11.
Columbus State answered, outscoring the Cats 23-13 in the second quarter to close the lead to just 36-34 at the break.
Lander started its big third quarter with a 14-0 run and never looked back, sending its rival home and defeating CSU in the PBC Tournament for the first time since 2018.
Freshman of the Year Zamiyah Passmore led the Bearcats with 25 points and eight assists, while Tabitha Dailey finished the day with 24 points and 10 boards.
Women’s Semifinal - #2 North Georgia vs #3 Clayton State
After upsetting North Georgia to end the regular season, Clayton State would have no luck in the PBC Semifinals, falling to the Nighthawks, 87-65.
UNG began the game on a 10-0 run and never looked back, taking an 18-point lead into halftime.
Both teams would trade runs in the second half, with North Georgia never leading by less than 20 points.
Player of the Year Julianne Sutton led the Nighthawks with 23 points while Kara Groover flirted with a triple-double, with eight points, seven assists and 10 rebounds.
Men’s Championship - #3 Lander vs #5 Columbus State
The Lander Bearcats erased a 13-point halftime deficit and knocked off the Columbus State Cougars for their first PBC Tournament Championship since 2016.
Columbus State came out hot, going on a 21-3 run in the first half and shooting a blistering 52 percent to take a 40-27 lead at the intermission.
Lander went on a quick 20-9 run to cut the lead down to four before falling down, 60-49, with nine minutes left. Deon Berrien hit a three to give the Bearcats a 72-68 lead with 2:38 left.
Columbus State would hit a three with three seconds left to cut the lead down to 76-73, but the Bearcats held on to win their first Peach Belt Championship in four years and the first for head coach Drew Richards.
Tyler Brevard scored 21 points and was named Tournament MVP.
Lander was projected to finish ninth in the PBC, which means it wouldn’t have even made the tournament. Now the Bearcats have over 20 wins, a Peach Belt Championship, and will be the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional for the NCAA Tournament.
Women’s Championship - #1 Lander vs #2 North Georgia
The Lander Bearcats overcame a quick 8-0 deficit to knock off North Georgia for the Peach Belt Women’s Championship.
The Nighthawks opened the game on an 8-0 run, but Lander responded, closing the first quarter with a 19-3 run to take a 19-11 lead into the second.
Lander would get the lead as high as 40-15, capping an impressive 40-7 run in the first half. Lander led, 45-24, at halftime.
North Georgia opened the second half with a 9-0 lead, but the Bearcats answered and took a 59-44 lead into the final quarter.
North Georgia got the lead down to 11, but it wasn't enough as Peach Belt Tournament MVP Tabitha Dailey’s 26 points led Lander to its first PBC Championship in four years.
The Bearcats were also the last team to sweep both the men’s and women’s Peach Belt Championships.
Lander will host the 2020 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional for the first time in 10 years next week.
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