Lander Athletics
GREENWOOD, S.C. – Finally playing in its first home game of the season, the No. 5-ranked Lander women’s basketball team had a 30-0 run in the second half, forced 41 turnovers and rolled to a 103-40 victory over Emory & Henry College Sunday afternoon at Horne Arena.
The Bearcats already had a big day as they received their NCAA South Region championship rings during halftime of the Lander men’s basketball game earlier Sunday. The Bearcats reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2020-21 and has returned eight players in 2021-22.
With Sunday’s victory, Lander improved to 6-1 on the season. The NCAA Division III Wasps fell to 3-5.
The game was tied at 13 late in the first quarter, but the Bearcats outscored Emory & Henry 90-27 the rest of the way including a 65-14 stretch. They outscored the visitors 36-4 in the third quarter.
Makaila Cange paced the Blue and Gold with 25 points on nine of 13 shooting from the floor. She is shooting 66 percent from the floor on the season.
Zamiya Passmore added 22 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field while leading Lander with eight assists.
Miriam Recarte contributed 16 points while pacing the Bearcats with nine rebounds. Amiaya Melvins added eight boards.
Jakiyah Parker, Vashae Rideout and Melvins added nine points apiece for Lander while Kyla Thomas scored a career-high six points late in the game off the bench. Sarah Crews paced the Bearcats with five steals and added five assists.
Callie Haderer led the Wasps with 10 points.
Lander made 41 of 84 shots from the floor (49 percent) while Emory & Henry hit 12 of 36 (33 percent).
The 67-point margin of victory was one of Lander’s greatest of all-time. The Bearcats beat Brewton-Parker by 70 back in 2015.
The game was tied at 13-all late in the first quarter before the Bearcats took the lead for good off a pair of steals, starting a 12-0 run. Aniaya Jester’s steal and basket put Lander on top and then Passmore stole a long inbounds pass and made a driving layup for a 17-13 lead going into the second period. The Bearcats forced 10 Emory & Henry turnovers in the opening quarter.
Lander scored the first eight points of the second period including a 3-pointer by Crews and baskets by Rideout and Passmore for a 25-13 advantage with 8:38 left in the half.
Passmore intercepted a back-court pass and went high off the glass for a layup as the Bearcat lead grew to 14 points, 35-21, with 4:23 to go.
Parker’s 3 from the right corner and Recarte’s long jumper pushed the advantage to 45-26 inside the two-minute mark. Lander, forcing 21 turnovers in the first half, led 45-27 at the break.
The shooting of Recarte and Passmore got the Bearcats off to a fast start in the second half. Recarte’s 3-pointer from the top of the key gave Lander a 53-27 lead with 6:52 to go.
Amaya Lee’s basket pulled the Wasps within 57-31 with five minutes left in the third. Then Lander closed the quarter with 24 consecutive points for an 81-31 lead going into the fourth. Cange, Melvins, Parker and Passmore all scored twice during the run. One of Passmore’s buckets was a 3-pointer and Cange went 4-for-4 from the stripe during the run.
Melvins hit one of two free throws, Jester swished a floater in the lane, and Recarte made a 3-pointer as the Bearcats extended their run of consecutive points to 30, building the lead to 87-31.
Mimi Traynham’s jumper with 7:18 left was Emory & Henry’s first basket in approximately eight minutes, ending Lander’s run of points.
Rideout scored twice down the stretch while Thomas scored three baskets in a row, the second pushing the Bearcats past the century mark at 101-36 with 1:15 to go.