MORROW, Ga. - Lane survived a defensive battle and a late push to advance in the conference tournament.

The Dragons defeated Benedict College 56–54 in the quarterfinals of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon.

Lane (21-5) used a strong third quarter to erase a halftime deficit and held off a late charge from Benedict to secure the two-point victory.

Benedict controlled the early momentum, jumping out to a 15-7 lead after the first quarter while the Dragons struggled to find their rhythm offensively. Lane slowly chipped away in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 22-18 at halftime despite shooting just 6-for-40 from the field in the opening half.

The turning point came in the third quarter. The Dragons found their offensive spark, outscoring Benedict 21-13 in the period. Four made three-pointers and aggressive play in transition helped Lane flip the game and take a 39-35 lead into the final quarter.

Benedict kept the pressure on in the fourth, but Lane responded with key baskets and defensive stops down the stretch to preserve the 56-54 win.

Lane College was led by Europe Brown with 11 points, while Lauren Lain added 10. Dyani Bernstine finished with nine points, and Alexis Rowe anchored the interior with five points and a game-high 16 rebounds.

The Dragons also forced 21 Benedict turnovers and converted them into 22 points, a key factor in the tightly contested game.