GREENWOOD – The Lander Bearcats rallied several times in the second half but fell short, losing 69-64 to 18th ranked King University Wednesday night at Horne Arena in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Lander fell to 2-1 on the season while the Tornado, which was averaging 88 points per game, improved to 3-0.

JR Washington was Lander's top scorer for the third straight game but was held to 14 points after pouring in 21 and 24 in the first two contests.

Scott Elder added 12 points for the Bearcats, Rahu Purdie scored 11 points, and Tobiasz Hose added a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 boards.

Lander hit 24 of 54 shots from the floor (44 percent), 10 of 11 free throws (91 percent) and six of 19 from 3-point range (32 percent).

C.J. Good paced King with 13 points, Mikquell Jackson and Drew Standifer added 12 points apiece, Hunter LeVeau scored 10 points, and Calvin Walker added nine points and five assists. Jackson and LeVeau led the Tornado with five rebounds apiece as King out-boarded Lander 37-35.

King, from Bristol, Tenn., made 25 of 61 shots (41 percent), only 10 of 21 free throws (48 percent), and nine of 33 from behind the arc (27 percent).

Trailing 40-28 in the first minute of the second half, the Bearcats climbed back into the game with 11 unanswered points including seven by Purdie. Washington opened the run with a layup, Purdie hit a 3 and then a layup, Travis Fredimon scored, and Purdie made a floater from the right side to pull Lander within 40-39 with 15:14 to go.

King pushed its lead back to nine at 51-42 at the 13-minute mark as Good made a 3 and another basket, and LeVeau converted two layups.

But the Bearcats rallied again behind Washington's 3 and baskets by Taylor Buffkin and Elder to close within 51-50 at the 8:29 mark.

The Tornado pulled back ahead by six, 60-54, on a bucket by Shon'Dre Dukes just inside the five-minute mark. But Lander rallied yet again as Washington scored in the paint and then hit a 3 off a Buffkin steal, followed by Elder's two free throws giving Lander its first lead since the opening minute, 61-60, with 3:12 to go.

King regained the lead on Standifer's put-back basket in the paint with 2:53 left, Calvin Walker hit a pair of free throws, and Jackson scored after the Tornado rebounded its missed free throw for a 66-61 advantage at the 1:45 mark.

Buffkin's 3 from the right side pulled the Bearcats within 66-64 with 1:29 to go. But Lander finally was not able to rally any further as King hung on despite making only three of six free throws in the final minute.

The Tornado built an 18-11 lead over the game's first nine minutes. Hose scored inside and Buffkin made a 3 to pull Lander within 18-16 at the nine-minute mark.

Standifer, Jackson and Nathanael Hughes made 3s, extending King's lead to its largest of the game at 28-16 with 6:30 left in the first half. Good made consecutive 3s as the lead continued to grow to 34-20 with 3:15 to go.

Elder made two free throws with one second left to pull the Bearcats within 39-26 at halftime.