GREENWOOD – Lander point guard Michael Panaggio scored 30 points, including three free throws with 1.1 seconds left to give the Bearcats a 73-70 Peach Belt Conference victory over Armstrong Atlantic State University Wednesday night at Horne Arena.

Lander improved to 8-6 overall and 2-3 in the Peach Belt. The Pirates fell to 5-7, 2-3.

The Bearcats took the lead with 13:36 left in the first half and never trailed again. But Armstrong Atlantic, losing by as many as 13 points early in the second half, rallied and finally tied it with less than 30 seconds to go.

The Pirates, down 70-67, started their tying possession with 51 seconds left and patiently worked the ball around under the 30-second mark. Then Kyle Callanan nailed a game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key, making it 70-all with 27 seconds to go.

Lander ran down the clock with Panaggio handling the ball as time wound under five seconds left in regulation. Panaggio, who had the hot hand all night, took a desperation 3-point attempt to the right of the top of the key with 1.1 seconds left and missed but was fouled in the act of shooting. He made all three free throws to win the game.

Armstrong Atlantic failed to get off a shot as the clock expired.

Panaggio scored his 30 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the floor, including seven of nine from 3-point range, and all three free throws on his only trip to the line. It was his career high at Lander.

Dermaine Smith added 17 points for the Bearcats and led the team with eight rebounds. Jareal Smith scored 10 points and paced Lander with six assists. JR Washington contributed six rebounds.

Emmanuel Tiluscar had a big game for the Pirates with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Hichem Benayad-Cherif added 15 points for Armstrong while Callanan led the visitors with nine assists.

The Bearcats made 23 of 49 shots from the floor (47 percent), 18 of 26 free throws (69 percent) and nine of 20 from 3-point range (45 percent).

The Pirates hit 28 of 60 shots (47 percent), seven of 11 free throws (64 percent) and seven of 22 from behind the arc (32 percent).

Lander was out-rebounded 37-30 but outscored the visitors 18-7 from the line.

Armstrong Atlantic missed its first seven shots of the game and made only two of its first 14 attempts. The Bearcats took advantage of that cold shooting, erasing a 5-3 deficit with an 11-0 run to take a 14-5 lead inside the 12-minute mark. Ricardo Martin started the run with a layup and Jareal Smith followed with a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws.

Benayad-Cherif scored on consecutive possessions to pull the Pirates within 16-13 with nine minutes to go. Panaggio had a pair of 3s and an inside basket to help Lander maintain a lead that grew to as much as eight.

Armstrong was back within three, 26-23, with 3:47 left on Tiluscar's two free throws. But Dermaine Smith sparked the Bearcats with a dunk and Panaggio nailed a 3 from the top of the key for the team's first double-digit lead at 34-24 with 1:37 to go.

Lander led 36-27 at halftime.

The Bearcats built their biggest lead to 13 points, 40-27, in the first minute of the second half on baskets in the paint by Mario Pendarvis and Dermaine Smith, both assisted by Panaggio.

Dermaine Smith's two free throws gave Lander a 46-34 lead at the 15-minute mark. But Kenny Bellinger had a dunk and 3-pointer, rallying the Pirates within 46-41 with 12:23 left.

Panaggio's 3-pointer and fast-break layup extending the Bearcats lead to 56-45 at the 10-minute mark. But Armstrong responded again as Tiluscar had a 3 and a basket, pulling the visitors within 58-54 with 7:15 to go. Callanan's 3 cut it to 60-57 with 6:15 left.

After Jareal Smith's two free throws upped Lander's lead to five, Darius Morales had a dunk to close Armstrong back within three at 62-59 with 5:33 to go. Eric Eversley's free throw pulled the Pirates within 62-60 at the five-minute mark.

Dermaine Smith's turnaround hook increased the Bearcats lead to 66-62 with 3:47 left.

Eversley's jumper pulled Armstrong back within a basket at 66-64 with 3:16 to go.

The Pirates were charged with a flagrant foul and Dermaine Smith upped Lander's lead to 67-64 with one of two free throws. The Bearcats were awarded the possession due to the flagrant foul call and Panaggio made Armstrong pay with another 3-pointer, making it 70-64 with 2:27 left.

Benayad-Cherif's 3 quickly pulled the Pirates back within three at 70-67. After each team missed attempts from behind the arc over the next minute, a Jareal Smith basket was waved off due to an offensive foul with 51.7 seconds to go, turning the ball back over to Armstrong for an exciting finish.