GREENWOOD – Scott Ferguson scored 26 points including three crucial 3s late in the game as Georgia College & State University rallied from 15 points down in the second half to edge the Lander Bearcats 56-54 in a Peach Belt Conference game Thursday night at Horne Arena.

Lander fell to 8-17 overall and 3-15 in the PBC. The Bobcats improved to 9-16, 5-13.

It was the seventh loss of five points or fewer for the Bearcats this season.

Lander led by as many as 15 points, 36-21, early in the second half.

Ferguson was Georgia College's only double-figure scorer, making eight of 20 shots from the floor including five of eight from behind the arc. Ferguson also led the Bobcats with nine rebounds, Robert Armstrong had eight rebounds, and Aaron Robinson led them with six assists.

Jareal Smith paced the Bearcats with 15 points while Scott Elder added a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Carlos Trotty led Lander with seven assists.

The Bearcats shot poorly, hitting 17 of 53 shots from the floor (32 percent), 18 of 26 free throws (69 percent) and only two of 17 from 3-point range (11 percent).

Georgia College also shot poorly, making only 16 of 57 shots from the floor (28 percent), 17 of 20 free throws (85 percent), and seven of 23 shots from behind the arc (30 percent).

Lander had a 42-40 edge on the boards but committed nine second-half turnovers.

Lander started out fast, building a 10-4 lead on Dermaine Smith's basket with 12:38 left, 17-9 on Jareal Smith's steal and layup at the 9:33 mark, and 20-11 on Trotty's 3 with 7:08 remaining.

The Bearcats had three 10-point leads at 22-12, 24-14 and again at 26-16 when Trotty made two free throws with 2:05 to go.

Georgia College scored the final five points of the half on Ferguson's two free throws and Nate Hamilton's 3 to pull within 26-21 at halftime.

Lander opened up the second half with a 10-0 run. Jareal Smith made a pair of free throws, Dermaine Smith hit a jumper and a layup, and Jareal Smith made another free throw, Dermaine Smith converted a three-point play to make it 36-21 with 17:04 left.

The Bobcats went on a 6-0 run on Thomas's four free throws and Tarrence Chatman's basket to close within 36-27.

Darius Carrier's dunk upped Lander's lead to 40-31 with 11:33 left.

Chatman's jumper pulled Georgia College back within its halftime deficit of five, making it 40-35 inside the 10-minute mark.

After Trotty made a pair of free throws for the Bearcats, the visitors drew within a possession when David Wagner and Ferguson scored on a pair of put-backs to make it 42-39 at the eight-minute mark.

The Bobcats tied it on Ferguson's 3, making it 42-all with 7:15 left as they wiped out a 15-point deficit over a 10-minute span. They tied it with a 21-6 run.

Carrier's free throws put Lander back on top, 44-42, with 6:49 left. Pruett made one free throw, answered a Georgia College basket with a scoop shot inside, and Jareal Smith made a long jumper for a 49-44 Bearcats lead with 5:09 to go.

But Ferguson went on a tear with three consecutive 3s and the Bobcats took their first lead since the beginning of the game, 53-51, with 3:21 left.

Lander had a couple of opportunities to tie or regain the lead but traveled the first time and missed a pair of shots on its next trip. But Elder came up with a big play, laying up Jareal Smith's miss and converting a three-point play to put the Bearcats back on top, 54-53, with 1:45 to go.

Elder affected a shot on the other end with tough defense and Dermaine Smith grabbed the defensive rebound, but Lander turned the ball over. Georgia College got the ball back with 1:10 to go, but turned the ball over with 57 seconds left.

The Bearcats wound the shot clock down but turned the ball over in the lane with 27 seconds left. With 21.6 seconds left, Lander contested Thomas's shot but fouled, and he hit both free throws for a 55-54 Georgia College advantage.

The Bearcats raced down the court and found Pruett open outside the arc, but his shot bounced off no good, and a tap-in attempt failed. Chatman got the defensive rebound with two seconds left and made one of two free throws. A Lander desperation shot fell short.