GREENWOOD – The Lander Bearcats have matched the best start in men's basketball program history, improving to 9-0 with a 74-64 victory over Peach Belt Conference rival Clayton State Thursday night at Horne Arena.

Coach Finis Horne's 1979-80 team also began its season 9-0. Coach Jeff Burkhamer's squad will have the opportunity to break the record for best start when the Bearcats host Georgia Southwestern Saturday afternoon.

Lander improved to 9-0 overall and 2-0 in the Peach Belt.

The Lakers fell to 7-2, 0-1.

The Bearcats overcame a slow start, built a 24-point lead, then held Clayton State off down the stretch.

JR Washington led Lander with 22 points, Shavanno Cooper scored 14 points, Ricardo Martin added 12, Tobiasz Hose 11 and Mike Lee 10.

Cooper and Hose paced the Bearcats with seven rebounds apiece while Kiair Crouch led them with five assists.

Kelsey Terry paced Clayton State with 21 points, Dantez Bennamon added 13 points, and Jamil McKee contributed 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Lander made 25 of 54 shots from the floor (46 percent), 19 of 29 free throws (66 percent) and five of 12 from 3-point territory (42 percent).

The Lakers hit 21 of 59 shots (36 percent), 18 of 20 free throws (90 percent) and four of 24 from behind the arc (17 percent).

Lander had a 37-36 edge on the boards.

The Bearcats missed nine of their first 10 shots from the floor. But Washington woke Lander up with a 3-pointer that tied the game at 9-all with 12:09 left in the first half, starting a 28-6 run over the next nine minutes.

Crouch followed with a go-ahead jumper, Washington hit another 3, Cooper stole the ball and drove in for a layup, and Cooper dunked Hose's missed shot to complete a run of 12 unanswered points for an 18-9 lead at the eight-minute mark.

Cooper's put-back of Lee's missed shot gave Lander its first double-digit lead at 21-11 with 6:49 to go, and Lee followed with a 3.

Richard Bell's dunk ended Clayton State's seven-minute scoring drought from the floor, pulling the Lakers within 24-13 with 6:55 left.

The Bearcats were ahead 26-15 when they scored eight unanswered points, including six by Martin. He made two free throws, a basket in the paint, and a driving layup off Hose's blocked shot. Washington followed Martin's baskets with one of his own to make it 34-15 with 3:12 to go.

Lander led 36-19 at halftime.

The Bearcats took their first 20-point lead of the game when Hose opened the second half with a 3, making it 39-19. Hose and Washington scored on offensive rebounds, and Washington added a fast-break layup to give the Bearcats a 45-21 advantage with 17:33 to go. That would be their largest lead of the game.

Clayton State made a run, cutting a 24-point deficit to 13 when McKee rebounded JC Bonny's missed free throw and scored to make it 50-37 with 12:37 left. Terry's free throws cut it to 53-41 at the 11-minute mark.

Another Hose blocked shot led to Cooper's driving basket that pushed the Bearcats lead to 58-43 with 9:12 left. But Bennamon's 3 pulled the Lakers back within 12.

Patrick Bell's basket in the paint closed Clayton State within 63-50 with 6:39 to go.

Washington let the shot clock run down and drove through traffic to the basket for a layup, giving Lander a 68-54 lead with 4:25 left.

Bennamon's jumper and McKee's basket off Terry's back-court steal pulled the Lakers within 68-58 at the three-minute mark. Terry hit a 3 to close Clayton State's deficit into single digits for the first time in the second half, making it 68-61 with 2:28 to go.

The Lakers got a steal on the ensuing Lander possession with a chance to pull within four or five points but traveled. However, the Bearcats committed an offensive foul giving Clayton State another chance. But Lander's Sergio Smith caused a turnover that led to a Washington basket, ending a 7-0 run, making it 70-61with 1:40 left.

After Crouch made one of two free throws to increase the Bearcat lead to 10, Bennamon made a 3 that pulled the Lakers within seven again at 71-64 with 47 seconds left.

Hose made one of two free throws, and after Terry shot an air ball from behind the arc, Washington made two free throws for a 74-64 lead with 26 seconds left.