GREENWOOD – After beating North Georgia College & State University by 29 points two weeks ago, the Lander Bearcats found themselves in a battle Wednesday night at Horne Arena.
With the game tied with nine minutes left, Lander closed the game with a 19-10 run to beat the Saints 73-64 in a Peach Belt Conference game Wednesday on Marvin Vanover Night. Jarred Jackson led the way for the Bearcats with 21 points.
Lander improved to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the Peach Belt. The Saints fell to 4-15 and 0-8. The Bearcats swept the season series, winning 92-63 at Dahlonega, Ga., on Jan. 10.
Lander honored Peach Belt Conference Commissioner Marvin Vanover before the game, presenting him a chair embossed with the Peach Belt logo. He will also receive free golf during any trip to Greenwood, and free dining at the Dixie Drive-In restaurant. Vanover is retiring this season, having served as the conference's commissioner since its inception in 1991.
Prior to his service as commissioner, Vanover was the basketball coach and athletic director at Augusta College (now Augusta State University) for 25 years. His 1969-70 Jaguars team was his best, finishing 27-3 and ranked No. 5 in the nation.
Zach Evans joined Jackson in double figures for Lander with 15 points, Emanuel Hodrea had seven points, a game-high 10 rebounds and two blocked shots, Scottie Smith had nine rebounds, and Curtis Milner blocked three shots.
Jay Anderson led North Georgia with 25 points while Xavier Trice added 19 points.
After the teams battled to a 33-all halftime tie and were knotted at 37 early in the second half, the Bearcats went on an 8-1 run capped by Michael Griffin's 3-pointer off a block at the other end by Milner. Griffin's trey gave Lander a 45-38 lead. But the Saints responded with a 9-2 run with Trice's 3-pointer tying the game at 47 with 11:35 to go.
The Bearcats' Jason Davis broke a 54-all tie with a 3-pointer at the 8:45 mark to start a 7-0 run, making it 61-54. Jackson's 3-pointer from the left corner off a steal by Griffin pushed Lander's lead to 66-58 at the 2:54 mark.
After Anthony Rowe's three-point play pulled North Georgia within 68-61 with 52 seconds left, Dane Sparrow's 3-pointer from the left corner pushed the lead back to 10, 71-61, with 22 seconds left. Hodrea punctuated the victory by emphatically blocking a Saints shot out of bounds. Griffin added two free throws for the final margin.
After Sparrow's 3-pointer gave Lander a 21-19 lead with 7:16 left in the first half, North Georgia went on an 11-3 run for a 30-24 advantage. Jackson's 3-pointer pulled the Bearcats within 30-29. Lander's Evans hit two free throws with two seconds left to tie the score at 33 at the intermission as the hosts closed the half with a 9-3 run.
Lander made 26 of 61 shots from the floor (43 percent), 11 of 18 free throws (61 percent), and 10 of 23 from 3-point range (44 percent). North Georgia hit 21 of 57 shots (37 percent), 14 of 18 free throws (78 percent), and 8 of 19 from behind the arc (42 percent). The Bearcats had a 42-34 rebounding edge. There were only 15 turnovers in the game with the Saints committing eight.
