GREENWOOD, S.C. - A 40-7 run midway through the opening half was the difference as No. 23 Lander claimed the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Southeast Regional with a 76-62 win over the No. 16 University of North Georgia women's basketball team Sunday afternoon in Finis Horne Arena. With the win, Lander likely locked up hosting duties for next weekend's NCAA Southeast Regional.

North Georgia jumped out to an 8-0 lead before the Bearcats went on the massive run to hold a 21-point advantage at halftime. The Nighthawks continued to battle, though, coming out of halftime and cutting the lead down to as few as 11 early in the fourth quarter, but Lander was able to answer and keep the cushion on the way to their fifth tournament title.

NOTES
- Julianne Sutton and Kara Groover led UNG in scoring with 15 points each, earning both a spot on the All-Tournament team. Sutton notched a double-double with 10 boards, her fifth of the year.

- Abby Hubert and Abbie Franklin also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

- North Georgia and Lander both shot exactly 45.3 percent from the floor in the game.

NEXT UP
North Georgia will await the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee and the National Selection Committee's decision on the seeding for the Southeast Regional to take place next week. The selection show airs tonight at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.