GREENWOOD – David Pruett scored 25 points in 28 minutes, as the Lander Bearcats built a big lead and cruised to a 79-58 non-conference victory over Southern Wesleyan Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Lander, which put the game away with a 15-0 run in the first half, improved to 2-1 on the season. The Warriors dropped to 3-3.
Pruett, who scored a career-high 34 points versus Southern Wesleyan on Dec. 11, 2010, hit seven of 10 shots from the floor and eight of 10 free throws. Pruett made three 3-pointers in the second half to help the Bearcats put the game away.
Darius Carrier and Jermel Kennedy added 10 points apiece for Lander. Kennedy led the Bearcats with seven rebounds while Corey Wright had five assists. Darion Canty added nine points and four assists.
Phillip Williams paced the Warriors with 13 points while Nate Miller added 12 points. Nikola Lambic scored nine points while Kenny Joiner paced the visitors with eight rebounds.
Lander made 25 of 59 shots from the floor (49 percent), 17 of 25 free throws (68 percent), and four of 17 from 3-point range (24 percent).
The Bearcats held Southern Wesleyan to 31 percent shooting from the floor (20 of 64). The Warriors hit 15 of 21 free throws (71 percent) and only three of 18 from behind the arc (17 percent).
The Bearcats had a 43-37 edge on the boards.
Southern Wesleyan took its only lead of the game, 9-8, on Miller's 3-pointer with 14:52 left.
Dwight Tolbert started the 15-0 run with a basket, giving the Bearcats the lead for good at 10-9 with 13:45 to go.
Wright hit two free throws, and Pruett scored the next six points to make it 18-9. Tolbert continued the run with a dunk off a pass from Dennis Rumph. Patrick Powell hit a 3-pointer to complete the 15 unanswered points, making it 23-9 at the 7:50 mark.
A tip-in by Terrance Hutchins ended Southern Wesleyan's seven-plus minute scoring drought.
The Warriors climbed within seven, 23-16, on Sebais Duck's basket in the paint at the 4:53 mark.
The Bearcats responded with an 11-2 run to match their largest lead of the first half at 14 points, 32-18. Pruett started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play, Carrier made a jumper, Pruett hit two free throws, and Kennedy scored to finish the run.
Lander led 34-21 at halftime.
After Southern Wesleyan's Lambic opened the second-half scoring, the Bearcats built on their lead with a 10-2 run which included Wright's jumper, Pruett's fast-break layup, and Pruett's two 3-pointers to make it 44-25.
Pruett's third 3 of the second half upped the lead to 50-29 with 14:17 to go.
Lander took its first 25-point lead of the game on Mac Mitchell's jumper that made it 56-31 with 12:28 left.
Kennedy's hook shot in the lane upped the Bearcat lead to 28 points, 65-37, with 8:35 remaining.
Cody Waterworth and Kennedy provided a Lander highlight at the 4:40 mark. Waterworth, streaking toward the basket, lobbed an alley-oop pass to Kennedy for a slam dunk and a 70-45 lead.
Kennedy, who finished 4-for-4 from the floor, jammed another dunk off a pass from Michael Lowe to make it 75-49. Carrier closed Lander's scoring with the team's final two baskets.
