GREENWOOD – Tobiasz Hose posted a double-double as the first-place Lander Bearcats outscored Francis Marion 49-24 in the second half en route to an 82-65 Peach Belt Conference victory Wednesday night at Horne Arena.

Lander improved to 15-5 overall and 9-2 in the PBC, staying atop the East Division. Augusta University is in second place at 7-4.

The Patriots fell to 11-8, 4-7.

JR Washington led the Bearcats with 17 points and six assists, making four of five shots from 3-point range. Hose added 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Sergio Smith contributed 14 points on six of eight shooting.

Tyree King and Jarryd Coleman sparked Lander in the second half. King finished with 10 points while Coleman made three 3s in a row for nine points. Scott Elder added nine points, six boards and four blocked shots. Rahu Purdie had six points and four assists.

A.J. Jackson paced Francis Marion with 22 points, making eight of 15 shots from the floor including six of 10 from behind the arc.

Detrek Browning added 16 points for the Patriots, Mike Davis Jr. scored 11 points, and Brandon Parker led them with seven rebounds. Davis and Alante Fenner paced Francis Marion with four assists apiece.

Lander made 30 of 57 shots from the floor (53 percent), 10 of 20 free throws (50 percent) and 12 of 23 from 3-point range (52 percent) while holding a 40-37 edge on the boards.

The Patriots hit 24 of 66 shots (36 percent), six of eight free throws (75 percent) and 11 of 25 from 3-point range (44 percent). They were nine of 18 from behind the arc in the first half and only two of seven in the second half.

After Jackson's 3 gave Francis Marion a 9-8 lead four minutes into the game, Lander scored 11 unanswered points for a 19-9 advantage. Elder scored twice in the paint, Smith made a fast-break layup, Washington swished a 3, and Hose scored inside.

Washington's second 3 of the game upped the Bearcats lead to 24-13 at the 12-minute mark.

But the Patriots went on a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to regain the lead, 27-26. Francis Marion made four 3s during the run, two by Davis, one by Parker, and a go-ahead trey by Jackson.

Purdie drained a 3 and King hit a jumper, giving Lander a 33-29 lead with four minutes left.

But the Patriots scored the final 12 points of the half for a 41-33 advantage at the break. Browning and Jackson each scored five points with both making 3s, and Davis added a steal and breakaway dunk.

Francis Marion closed the half by outscoring the Bearcats 28-9 over the final 12 minutes.

Lander opened the second half with a 13-0 run, turning a 41-33 deficit into a 46-41 lead with 15:37 left.

Purdie started the run with a 3, Smith converted a three-point play, Hose tied the game with a pair of free throws, Smith tapped an offensive rebound off the glass for the go-ahead bucket, and Washington knocked down a 3 off Elder's steal.

The Patriots missed their first seven shots of the second half until Parker's put-back ended the run.

After Jackson's fifth 3 of the game pulled Francis Marion within 48-46, Elder scored in the paint giving the Bearcats a 50-46 advantage with 11:47 to go.

Davis's three-point play closed the Patriots within 52-51 at the 10:48 mark.

After Browning missed a free throw with 10:18 left, the school's first miss of the evening in 24 attempts (the women were 21-for-21), King hit a 3 to extend Lander's lead to 56-51 with 10 minutes to go.

Coleman's 3 from the left wing upped the Bearcats lead to 60-51 with 8:33 left.

Lander earned its first double-digit lead of the second half at 63-53 with 7:37 to go when Coleman hit a 3 with a hand in his face. Hose banked in a 3, making it 66-55 at the seven-minute mark.

Coleman made a third consecutive 3 from the right corner, stretching the lead to 69-56 at the 6:27 mark. The freshman from Greenwood was now 10 for 16 from behind the arc on the season.

Washington, Elder and King added layups for a 76-58 lead with 4:11 to go. Washington's 3 made it 79-60 with 3:26 left. Elder made one of two free throws for a 20-point lead, 80-60, with 2:37 to go.