Lakewood, N.J. - Georgian Court University snapped its six-game slide in grand fashion Thursday evening as the Lions knocked off the reigning-champion Jefferson Rams, 93-82, in a clutch Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball divisional triumph.

The effort marks the second-straight home win over the Rams as the Lions previously stunned its foe, 74-73, last Feb. 19 with a buzzer-beater. GCU's point total was the most since falling to Dominican College in overtime, 101-95, back on Feb. 12, 2005.

Coasting to a nine-point lead (18-9) with 4:46 left in the first quarter, the Lions pounced for a 12-2 run to take a slim 21-20 lead with 54 seconds left in the frame. Safiyyah Lee closed out the period with a pair of free throws to give the home team a 23-22 advantage heading into the second.

The Rams (4-6, 1-1 CACC) again rallied for yet a second nine-point surplus when an Emily Keehfuss (Fr.-Yardley, Pa.) three-ball put Jefferson up, 41-32, with 4:20 to go before the break. That lead would also crumble as GCU fired off a 10-0 outburst to go back ahead by one (42-41) with 1:42 left on the clock. 

After a Maddie Haney (So.-Royersford, Pa.) jumper put the road team up, 43-32 (1:01), Lee slipped in a layup with only three ticks remaining to provide the home team a 44-43 cushion at intermission. The Rams came out of the locker room with a 9-2 spurt to go up by six (52-46) just 1:48 into the third. 

Georgian Court continued to counter as a Jada Atchison fast break lay-in completed a 12-2 run, putting the home team ahead, 58-54, with 5:18 left in the frame. With the score knotted in a 60-60 stalemate, an Atchison three-pointer snapped the tie at 2:22 and provided GCU a lead (63-60) they would not again relinquish.

Up by three heading into the fourth-and-final frame, Georgian Court owned the last stanza with a 24-16 showing, which included a game-best 14-point lead after two Atchison free throws made it 93-79 victors with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

The graduate student from Burlington, N.J. paced the Lions with her game-high 31 points, which included 10-for-20 shooting from the floor with five three-pointers and a perfect six-for-six from the charity stripe. Registering her second 30-point showing of the season (34 vs. SNHU, 11/9), Atchison also led Georgian Court with six helpers.
 
Lee finishes the night with a double-double performance for the Lions, netting a season-high 25 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Ivona Krakic dropped in 14 points, complementing her six boards and five assists. Nerea Brajac also aided on five buckets, to go with 11 points.

Three Rams dropped double-digits in the scoring column, bested by Allie Warren (Jr.-East Brunswick, N.J.) and her 21 points.

GCU (2-6, 1-2 CACC) now treks out of conference Saturday afternoon when the Lions visit The College of Saint Rose (1:00 p.m.) in the Saint Rose Holiday Classic.