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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – The run at history came up one game short for the 23^rd-ranked Columbus State University women's basketball team as the Lady Cougars fell 72-68 against Lander in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship on Sunday. The game was played inside the Lumpkin Center.
 
The loss snaps Columbus State's 32-game home winning streak and stops its quest to become the first PBC women's basketball team to win three straight conference tournaments. The Lady Cougars will now wait to find out their NCAA Tournament seeding, which will be revealed Sunday night at 10 p.m.
 
Michelle Mitchell scored a game-high 30 points on 12-of-27 shooting. Ashley Asouzu came up one rebound shy of a double-double, adding 17 points and nine rebounds.
 
"Give Lander all the credit," head coach Jonathan Norton said. "They had us on our heels. We have made it this year on defense and they have done it on offense. Today the offense won.
 
"We'll have the day off tomorrow and get back in the gym. Then we'll get ready for a run in the NCAA Tournament."
 
"We have achieved a lot this season," added Asouzu. "We are still a great team and great teams have moments just like this. They will lose, just to come on top and win again."
 
Lander (25-6) scored the game's first seven points over the opening three minutes to take the only lead it would need on the day.
 
Asouzu and Mitchell scored on the next two possessions to get Columbus State on the board, but the Bearcats continued their offensive roll.
 
Six straight for Lander pushed the lead out to nine (13-4) and it reached double digits behind a three from Ty'Hesha Reynolds, who had 12 points in the opening quarter.
 
Gabby Williams converted a three-point play with less than a minute to play in the quarter to cut Lander's advantage to 18-11 after 10 minutes.
 
The Columbus State (24-5) charge came in the early portion of the second quarter as Asouzu and Mitchell went to work again. The duo scored six straight to get CSU within three (22-19). After a Lander three stemmed the tide, the Lady Cougars put four more on the board to make it a two-point game.
 
Lander weathered the storm though, stretching the lead back to nine and taking a 36-30 lead into halftime.
 
CSU continued to fight in the third quarter, but the Bearcats had the answer every time. A late steal and bucket from Britteny Tatum left the Lady Cougars down seven heading into the fourth.
 
Columbus State pulled to within three twice in the opening five minutes of the fourth, however Lander kept responding. Down 66-59 with just over four minutes to play, the Lady Cougars finally broke through.
 
Asouzu and Mitchell put together a 9-2 run, finished off by a three-point play from Mitchell that tied the game at 68-all with 58 seconds on the clock.
 
After Lander retook the lead with 41 seconds left, the Lady Cougars missed two opportunities to tie or take the lead and ultimately dropped the game.
 
Columbus State shot 53.3 percent in the second half to move its overall total to 43.9 percent (29-of-66) for the game. CSU made just 2-of-11 from the three-point line and went 8-for-16 on free throws.
 
Lander was an even 50 percent (26-of-52) from the field and made 5-of-16 from the three-point line.