GREENWOOD – Houston Wright scored 20 points, leading the Lander Bearcats to 76-48 Peach Belt Conference victory over UNC Pembroke Wednesday night at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 6-8 overall and 3-4 in the Peach Belt. The Braves fell to 6-9, 1-7. The teams split the season series with the Bearcats avenging a 64-49 loss on Nov. 28.
Wright made seven of 11 shots from the floor, including five of seven from behind the 3-point line to lead Lander. Zach Evans also hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points to go along with six assists. Dane Sparrow and Brenton Harris added 11 points apiece, while Ford “Scooter” Lawrence had a game-high seven assists.
The Bearcats made 15 of 37 shots (40 percent) from behind the 3-point arc in the game.
Jarrell Hunter led Pembroke with 14 points while Jonathan Hart had a game-high seven rebounds.
After Lander closed the first half on an 11-0 run, Evans hit a 3-pointer and Sparrow added a basket to complete a 16-0 run for a 43-23 advantage. Pembroke closed within 43-29, but Lander regained its 20-point lead on Wright's three-point play and an Evans 3-pointer for a 49-29 lead with 15:37 remaining. The lead stayed around the 20-point mark over the next 10 minutes.
The Bearcats extended their lead to 23 points, 63-40, on Wright's 3-pointer from the left corner with 5:58 to go. Wright hit a 3-pointer from the same spot to make it 68-44 and Evans increased the team's largest lead to 27 points, 71-44, with a 3-pointer at the 3:55 mark.
Wright hit a pair of 3-pointers to help stake the Bearcats to an early 12-5 lead. After Pembroke closed within 17-15 on Zack Honeycutt's 3-pointer, Lander went on a 10-3 run that included Curtis Milner's 3-pointer from the top of the key and a dunk by Harris off a pass from Evans for a 27-18 lead at the 3:20 mark.
Ryan Little's 3-pointer closed the Braves within 27-23 with 2:26 to go. But the Bearcats closed the half on an 11-0 run on a basket by Milner and 3-pointers by Sparrow, Evans and Wright for a 38-23 halftime advantage.
For the game, Lander made 26 of 56 shots from the floor (46 percent) and nine of 12 free throws (75 percent). Pembroke hit 16 of 46 shots (35 percent), 10 of 15 free throws (67 percent), and six of 20 from 3-point range (30 percent). The Braves had a 35-28 rebounding edge and had 20 turnovers to Lander's 12.
