GREENWOOD – Jareal Smith scored 23 points, leading the Lander Bearcats to an 83-68 non-conference victory over the College of Coastal Georgia in the opening game of the fifth annual Finis Horne Holiday Classic Saturday evening in Horne Arena.

Lander evened its record at 5-5 while the Mariners fell to 7-7. Lenoir-Rhyne met Georgia College later Saturday in the second game of the tournament.

The Finis Horne Holiday Classic continues on Sunday with Georgia College facing the College of Coastal Georgia at 1:30, followed by the Bearcats versus Lenoir-Rhyne at 3:30.

The holiday classic was renamed this year in honor of Finis Horne, who passed away in June 2013. Horne, who also served as athletics director, started the Lander basketball program in 1968 and coached until his retirement following the 1996-97 season.

Smith made nine of 13 free throws, helping Lander pull away. Michael Panaggio and JR Washington added 12 points apiece for the Bearcats, while Dermaine Smith and Mario Pendarvis each scored nine points.

Darius Carrier, Dermaine Smith and Pendarvis led Lander with six rebounds apiece while Panaggio had four assists.

P.J. Reason led Coastal Georgia with 21 points while Kentorey Johnson added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Kostas Ezomo added eight rebounds for the Mariners while Reggie Burke had eight points while leading the visitors with four assists.

Lander made 26 of 62 shots from the floor (42 percent), 22 of 34 free throws (65 percent) and nine of 20 from 3-point territory (45 percent).

Coastal Georgia hit 26 of 60 shots (43 percent), nine of 13 free throws (69 percent) and seven of 25 from behind the arc (28 percent).

The Bearcats had a 42-36 edge on the boards.

After Washington hit a pair of 3-pointers to give Lander an early 6-2 lead, Ezomo scored at the 16-minute mark to put Coastal Georgia on top, 7-6. It would be their only lead.

The Bearcats quickly moved back ahead, gaining a 16-9 advantage on Panaggio's 3-pointer with 12:22 left and a 19-14 lead on Dermaine Smith's fast-break dunk at the 10:21 mark.

Jareal Smith's 3 pushed Lander's lead to 22-16 with 8:06 left. But the Mariners drew within 22-21 with 7:13 to go on Darrean Wyatt's bucket off Reason's steal. But Jareal Smith gave the Bearcats a six-point lead yet again, 29-23, with 4:33 left on another trey.

Lander took its biggest lead of the first half on Alen Hardy's put-back, making it 36-27 with 25 seconds left. Reason's basket closed Coastal Georgia within 36-29 at the break.

The Bearcats built on their lead early in the second half as Washington's 3-pointer gave the hosts their first double-digit advantage at 42-32 with 16:36 left, and Panaggio's trey made it 45-34 with 15:47 to go.

Carrier hit two free throws to give Lander a 50-36 lead with 13:08 left.

After Michael Matta's layup pulled the Mariners within 50-38, the Bearcats scored seven unanswered points. Carrier made three of four free throws, and Pendarvis and Jareal Smith scored in the paint for a 57-38 lead at the 10-minute mark.

Reason twice hit 3s that pulled Coastal Georgia within 14, the last time making it 62-48 with 7:33 left.

But Mike Lee hit a 3-pointer, Jareal Smith scored in the paint, and Lee made another trey giving Lander its first 20-point lead at 70-50 with 5:22 to go.

Johnson converted a rare four-point play when he made a 3, was fouled, and hit the free throw to pull the Mariners within 72-57 with 4:07 left.

Jareal Smith's two free throws gave Lander a 79-61 lead with 2:05 to go. Coastal Georgia tightened the score on Johnson's 3, Reason's layup, and Reason's steal and basket to make it 79-68 with 45 seconds left.

The Bearcats ran down the clock to 23 seconds left when Jareal Smith was fouled and made two free throws for an 81-68 lead. He made two more free throws with nine seconds to go to complete the scoring.