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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – Opening up the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the fourth-ranked and top-seeded Columbus State University women's basketball team eased past eighth-seeded Anderson 73-62. The NCAA Southeast Regional is being played inside the Lumpkin Center.
 
With the victory, Columbus State (29-1) advances to the second round where it will meet Lander for the third time this season. The Lady Cougars defeated the Bearcats during the regular season and again Sunday in the Peach Belt Conference championship.
 
"I'm definitely pleased with a victory tonight," head coach Anita Howard said. "There were a lot of areas that I wasn't happy with, but at the end of the day we took care of business and get another game."
 
The Lady Cougars got off to a quick start, jumping in front 11-4 four minutes in behind seven points from Alexis Carter. The lead stretch out as wide as eight and CSU took a 20-13 edge into the second.
 
Columbus State's lead bounced between four and nine points for most of the second quarter, with Carter and Gabby Williams scoring late to make it a 10-point game (36-26) at the halftime break.
 
CSU edged its way further in front opening the third, leading by 16 points with a little more than six minutes remaining in the quarter.
 
Anderson (21-7) then made a quick push with eight straight points to get back within eight.
 
Columbus State answered right back with an 11-2 stretch, capped off by Erin Morrow's lone 3-pointer of the night. The outside shot pushed the margin out to 17 at 60-43 and it appeared that CSU would run away.
 
The Trojans battled back over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead down inside single digits.
 
After a couple of empty possessions, Carter put the finishing touches on the win with a bucket to push the lead back into double figures and CSU would coast the final two minutes.
 
Carter turned in a monster double-double with 22 points and 21 rebounds. Gabby Williams set a career high with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Britteny Tatum added 12 of her own.
 
Columbus State finished at 38.6 percent (27-of-70) shooting for the night. Behind Carter's performance, the Lady Cougars dominated the boards 55-42.
 
Anderson shot just 31.9 percent (22-of-69) overall and was 8-for-29 from the 3-point line.