AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta State outlasted Lander University Wednesday night for a 51-48 Peach Belt Conference win in Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The Lady Jags (18-5, 11-5 in the PBC) gave the Bearcats (8-15, 5-11) a chance to put the game in overtime when junior Lea Saunders jacked up a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, but missed long to give ASU the win.

"I thought our biggest thing tonight was that we started contesting more shots in the second half," Augusta State Head Coach Nate Teymer said. "We moved the ball more and made them play more defensive."

Lander rolled to an early 11-4 lead off of Saunders' floor control and sneaky passes. She had 11 points, four rebounds and five assists by halftime, while senior Precious Elkins, Lander's threat in the paint, notched 10 points and five boards in the first half.

With 6:30 left in the opening half, ASU cut it to 10 points after junior Becky Newhouse slashed through the lane for a layup to make it 26-16. In her second game back from a left-knee injury, junior Jemimah Ashby hit a jumper Newhouse hit back-to-back 3-pointers to bring it to a halftime score of 28-24.

Senior Brittany White stole LU's first possession of the second half and assisted senior Laci Schreiber for a layup. The Lady Jags took their first lead of the night on senior Eryka Menzies jumper from the left side and built their lead when senior Tiffany Jaecks gave drained a shot for a 51-42 lead.

LU's Saunders hit trey at the top of the arc to bring it within five and got to the charity stripe where she knocked down two to make it a three-point game. She missed the game-tying trey to let the Lady Jags take one away. Saunders finished with a game-high 22 points and notched seven assists.

ASU shot 33 percent to LU's 34 percent, but scored six more points in the paint than the Bearcats and outscored their bench 19-to-9. Ashby paced ASU with 11 points and Newhouse added 10 and six rebounds. Schreiber and Jaecks combined for 25 rebounds on the night – Schreiber adding 13 and Jaecks 12.

ASU hosts a PBC contest against Francis Marion for homecoming and senior night in the last home game of the season on Feb. 23 at 1:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.