GREENWOOD, S.C. - The Georgia College & State University Women's Basketball team (14-11, 6-9 PBC) hit nine free throws in the final minute to hold off a rally at Lander University (7-17, 4-11 PBC), the Bobcats winning 63-62 Wednesday night. 

Lander drained threes on its last four possessions, including one to cut the lead to one at the buzzer. Sophomore Ashyia Willis (Gainesville, Georgia) had iced the game on the previous possession, hitting a pair of free-throws to put the Bobcat lead to four with just a second left.

Willis finished with 15 points to lead the Bobcats, adding a team-high four assists. She went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe in the game. Senior Harper Vick (Marietta, Georgia) added 10 points to the cause, while sophomore Alexa Geary (Calhoun) added 10 more off the bench.

The Bobcats dominated rebounding to the tune of a 46-29 advantage. Sophomore Jada Warren (Norcross, Georgia) grabbed 12, while senior Cassidy Markle (Cumming, Georgia) corralled 10. Warren now has 10 double-digit rebounding games this season, including four straight.

The GCSU Women started strong, enjoying a 21-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, and a 31-22 lead at the halftime break. The Bobcats stretched their lead out to 12 at 37-25 with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter. Lander used the long-distance effort to get back in the game, hitting five of their six threes after halftime and four in the fourth quarter, all coming in the last couple minutes.

The win puts the Bobcats at 6-9 in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) standings, positioned eighth with three conference games remaining. The top eight teams advance to the PBC Tournament, beginning March 1.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m., hosting Clayton State University.

Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.