DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Calvin Liptrot scored a game-high 23 points Saturday afternoon to pace the Lander men's basketball team to an 80-66 Peach Belt Conference victory over North Georgia.

Lander, in winning its first PBC contest, improves to 7-7 overall and 1-6 in the PBC, while NGCSU drops to 3-9, 0-3.

Liptrot connected on 5-of-8 field goals and 12-of-14 free throws, while David Pruett added 20 points, Tovi Bailey 16 and Jermel Kennedy 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Saints were paced by Elijah Smith, who scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Carl Taylor, who scored 11 points. Clarence Tillman added eight rebounds, while Chaun Tinney had six assists.

After six first-half ties, the last being 21-21 with 6:01 left until halftime, North Georgia built up a 36-29 lead before ending the half with a 36-31 advantage.

In the second half, Lander closed the gap to 40-39 on a Jermel Kennedy layup at 16:43, then took the lead at 41-40 on a Pruett jumper at 15:44.

Lander took the lead for good at 13:30 when Bailey's layup gave the Bearcats a 45-44 advantage.

The Bearcats built the lead up to double figures at 68-58 with 1:39 left on a pair of Bailey free throws. The Bearcats biggest lead came at 14 points -- 78-64 -- on a Pruett free throw with 24 seconds remaining in the game.

Lander connected on 26-of-57 field goals for 45.6 percent, including 4-of-16 threes for 25 percent. The Bearcats also made 24-of-30 free throws for 80 percent.

NGCSU was 23-of-60 from the floor for 38.3 percent, 3-of-15 from the three-point line for 20 percent, and 17-of-26 from the foul line for 65.4 percent.

North Georgia outrebounded the Bearcats, 42-34.