GREENWOOD – Guards Jarred Jackson and Michael Griffin carried the Lander Bearcats to a 67-53 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball victory over No. 21-ranked Georgia College & State University Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Jackson tied his career high with 30 points, making 11 of 16 shots from the floor including six of 10 from 3-point range. He also scored 30 points versus North Georgia on Feb. 22, 2006. Griffin added 16 points and a career-high nine assists. Jackson and Griffin scored 46 of Lander's 67 points.
Lander avenged an early-season loss to the Bobcats, improving to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the Peach Belt. Georgia College, which beat the Bearcats 73-56 in a non-conference game in Milledgeville, Ga., on Nov. 29, fell to 10-3 overall and 0-2 in the PBC.
Aaron Gibbs led Georgia College with 14 points, Levert Carter scored 13 points, Aaron Clark added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Shaun Keaton scored 10 points.
Lander pulled away down the stretch, ending the game with a 13-5 run.
Clark's basket pulled the Bobcats within 54-48 with 4:34 to go. But Jackson hit back-to-back 3-pointers off Griffin assists to make it 60-48. After Gibbs hit a 3-pointer to pull Georgia College within 60-51 with two minutes left, Griffin and Jackson put the game away with driving lay-ups.
Trailing 12-11, the Bearcats went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for good at 19-12 at the 10:32 mark. Jackson scored seven consecutive points on two inside baskets and a 3-pointer to increase Lander's lead to 26-15. The Bearcats were up 32-25 at halftime behind Jackson's 14 first-half points.
Lander made 25 of 55 shots from the floor (46 percent), 8 of 10 free throws (80 percent), and 9 of 17 from 3-point range (53 percent). Georgia College made 19 of 57 shots from the floor (33 percent), 11 of 14 free throws (79 percent) and only 4 of 22 from behind the arc (18 percent). The Bearcats out-rebounded Georgia College 37-32. There were 11 blocked shots in the game. Clark had three of Georgia College's five blocks. Curtis Milner had two of Lander's six blocks.
