GREENWOOD – Lander's David Pruett scored 26 points, but the Bearcats' upset bid against No. 5 ranked Augusta State fell short 65-60 on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
The Jaguars improved to 25-3 overall and won the Peach Belt Eastern Conference title with a 15-3 record.
Lander finished the season at 10-16 overall and 3-15 in the conference.
Saturday was the final game for Lander senior Tovi Bailey, who had 11 points and eight assists.
Pruett had a big day for Lander, hitting seven of 10 from 3-point range and five of six free throws.
Darius Carrier was 4-for-4 from the floor and added eight points for the Bearcats while Jermel Kennedy led the team with nine rebounds.
Pruett and Carrier were a combined 11-for-17 from the floor while the rest of the Lander team was 7-for-27.
Francke Ndongo led the Augusta State with 17 points and 12 rebounds. O'Neal Armstrong added 11 points, Tye Beal scored 10 points, and Ben Purser added 10 points and nine rebounds. Armstrong led the Jaguars with five assists.
Every time Augusta State built a comfortable lead, the Bearcats battled back. That was the theme of the game.
Pruett hit a trey on Lander's opening possession for a 3-0 lead. But Augusta State seemingly took control of the game with a 12-1 run, including Beal's two 3s, for a 12-4 advantage with 15:16 left.
Armstrong's basket gave the visitors a 23-11 lead with 9:25 to go.
But with the Jaguars missing their next six shots from the floor, Lander got back into the game on a 3-pointer by Pruett to close within 23-18 with 6:24 left.
Purser ended Augusta's five-minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer to make it 26-18 with 4:14 to go. But the Bearcats closed within 26-24 on Kennedy's three-point play and Bailey's 3-pointer.
Armstrong's trey increased the Jaguar lead to 29-24. But Bailey scored at the buzzer to pull Lander within 29-26 at halftime. The Bearcats outscored Augusta 15-6 over the final nine minutes of the half.
The Jaguars twice led by five in the opening minutes of the second half. But Lander continued to surge and closed within two, 33-31, on Pruett's 3 with 16:38 left.
Augusta scored on its next two possessions for a six-point lead, but Pruett had one free throw and another trey to pull the Bearcats back within two, 37-35, with 15:12 to go.
But every time Lander got within a possession, the Jaguars responded. Armstrong's steal led to a Ndongo dunk and Purser hit a 3-pointer off another Bearcat turnover to make it 46-35 with 12:30 left.
Pruett hit another trey to pull Lander within 47-42 with 8:51 to go, completing a 7-1 run. But Augusta State responded once again, building the lead back to 53-42 on George Johnson's basket in the paint with 6:55 left. Caleb Brown's free throw increased the lead to 13, 56-43, with 3:46 to go.
The Bearcats went six minutes without scoring a basket from the floor until Pruett found Quentin Bastian inside to pull them within 56-47 with 2:52 left. Bailey's free throw closed Lander within eight, 56-48, with 2:29 remaining.
Kennedy forced an Augusta turnover, but the Bearcats were unable to convert. However, Johnson missed two free throws for the Jaguars, and Pruett answered with a 3-pointer that once again pulled Lander back within five, 56-51, with 1:18 to go.
Ndongo hit two free throws for Augusta, but Calvin Liptrot answered with two free throws as Lander was back within five, 58-53, with 59 seconds left.
But Armstrong scored an important basket for the Jaguars, their first field goal in almost five minutes, for a 60-53 lead. And Ndongo added a free throw to increase the lead to eight.
Pruett's 3-pointer with Beal in his face pulled Lander within 63-57 with 17 seconds left. Bailey hit his final basket on the Horne Arena floor with a trey in the waning seconds.
For the game, Augusta State hit 22 of 45 shots from the floor (49 percent), 15 of 24 free throws (63 percent), and six of 15 from 3-point range (40 percent).
The Bearcats made 18 of 44 shots (41 percent), 15 of 22 free throws (68 percent), and nine of 16 from behind the arc (56 percent). Augusta had a 33-22 edge on the boards.
