JACKSON, Tenn. — In front of a lively home crowd of over 200 at J.F. Lane Gymnasium, the Lane Dragons delivered a dramatic finish on Thursday night, edging Edward Waters 73–71 to improve to 2–0 overall and 1–0 in SIAC play. The game swung back and forth all evening with 12 ties and 9 lead changes, but clutch plays in the final seconds secured the win for the Dragons.
Lane used a balanced offense and a strong defensive effort late to pull out the victory. Dyani Bernstine powered the Dragons with a team-high 18 points, while Alexis Rowe chipped in 13, and Ceriah Evans added 12, giving Lane three players in double figures.
Momentum swung hard in the fourth quarter. After entering the period tied 54–54, the Dragons fell behind by six with just over two minutes to play. But Lane refused to fold, stringing together key defensive stops and timely scoring. Kamil Washum's fast-break layup at the 2:01 mark pushed the lead to 72–66, putting the Dragons in control late.
Edward Waters surged back, cutting the deficit to one in the final 13 seconds. After a foul, Europe Brown hit one of two free throws to make it 73–71 with nine seconds left. Lane got one last defensive stand, blocking a potential game-tying three with one second remaining to seal the win and send the home crowd into celebration.
Lane shot 46% from the field, including a critical 50% in the fourth quarter, and dominated in transition with 27 fast-break points and 34 points off turnovers—a key difference in the matchup. The Dragons' bench also delivered a strong lift with 24 points.
Lane Stat Leaders
