GREENWOOD – Dwight Tolbert maintained his 25-point scoring average over the last five games and the Lander Bearcats shook off a three-week layoff by pulling away from the College of Coastal Georgia 86-71 in the Bearcat Holiday Classic Thursday night at Horne Arena.
Tolbert finished with 24 points, David Pruett scored 17 points, and Corey Wright added a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists as Lander improved to 6-2.
Coastal Georgia from Brunswick, Ga., a former junior college playing as a four-year program for the first time this season, fell to 2-12.
Georgia Southwestern beat Lenoir-Rhyne 68-52 in the first game of the Bearcat Holiday Classic played on Lander's campus Thursday. Georgia Southwestern meets Coastal Georgia Friday at 1:30 at Horne Arena, followed by Lander versus Lenoir-Rhyne at 3:30.
Tolbert, who had scored 31, 25, 27 and 30 points in his previous four games, is averaging 22.7 points per contest. He made 10 of 18 shots from the floor while adding five rebounds and five assists.
Jermel Kennedy added 10 points for the Bearcats while Dennis Rumph came off the bench to contribute eight points and a game-high eight rebounds. Wright also added six rebounds for the Bearcats.
Jared Paul and Michael Johnson led the Mariners with 15 points apiece, Mike Manning scored 11 points, and Marcus Morrison added 10 points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Paul led Coastal Georgia with four assists.
Lander, which hadn't played since beating Voorhees Dec. 10, shot well from the floor, making 32 of 58 shots (55 percent). The Bearcats hit 16 of 19 free throws (84 percent) and six of 16 from 3-point range (38 percent).
Coastal Georgia hit 24 of 56 shots (43 percent), 17 of 21 free throws (81 percent) and six of 21 from behind the arc (29 percent).
Lander had a 35-26 edge on the boards while each team committed 15 turnovers.
Lander came out hot, hitting four of its first six shots including 3s by Tolbert and Wright for a 10-2 lead. But Manning's two free throws tied it at 12-all with 14:36 to go, completing a 10-2 Coastal Georgia run.
The Bearcats regained the lead on Kennedy's hook shot and Wright's layup. But the Mariners took their first advantage of the game at 17-16 on Kyland Clark's 3-pointer at the 13-minute mark.
Coastal Georgia twice led by three before Pruett hit a 3-pointer from the left side to tie the game at 21-all at the 11-minute mark, starting a 9-0 run. Rumph scored inside, and Pruett added a basket and two free throws to give Lander a 27-21 lead.
The Mariners scored the next six points, tying it at 27 on Cory Wheeler's jumper in the paint. But the Bearcats took the lead for good on Darius Carrier's long jumper and Pruett's 3-pointer to make it 34-29.
Coastal Georgia kept the pressure on, pulling within 41-40 on Reggie Burke's basket with 1:29 to go.
But the Bearcats closed the first half with a flourish, scoring six unanswered points to take a 47-40 lead. Wright faked a shot at the top of the key, drove inside, drew a foul, and hit two free throws. Tolbert stole the ball on Coastal's next possession and dunked, and Wright got a steal, made a behind-the-back move, drove to the basket, and passed back to Kennedy for a dunk.
But Paul hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half to pull the Mariners within 47-43 at the break.
Lander twice led by six early in the second half. Coastal Georgia fought back within two, 51-49, on a basket by Wheeler with 17:29 to go. But Tolbert helped the Bearcats extend their lead, first with a three-point play to make it 56-50 and then with a bank shot for a 60-54 advantage at the 14:22 mark.
Kennedy then passed outside to Pruett for a 3-pointer, giving Lander its biggest lead of the game at nine points, 63-54, with 13:44 to go.
The Bearcats were held to one free throw over the next three-plus minutes before Tolbert found Rumph underneath the basket for a layup, giving the Bearcats a 66-58 advantage at the 10-minute mark.
Rumph's put-back of a Tolbert miss gave Lander its first double-digit lead of the game at 68-58 with 9:29 to go, and the Bearcats pulled away from there.
Pruett had a pair of fast-break baskets and Tolbert scored inside as the Bearcat lead ballooned to 77-61 at the six-minute mark.
Wright made a quick move to the basket, hit a layup and converted the three-point play for an 82-61 lead with 5:06 left.
