CENTRAL, S.C. – The Lander men's basketball team used a 9-3 run over the final 1:43 to earn a 75-71 victory over Anderson on Friday night in the season opener at the Classic at Southern Weselyan. 

Rahu Purdie pumped in 19 points for the Bearcats (1-0), while Morris Robinson Jr. added 12 points and six assists in his Lander debut. Jordan Dingle came off the bench to score 12 points, while Justin Holliday pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds off the bench. 

Defensively, Lander held the Trojans (0-1) to 4-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc and held a 44-34 advantage on the boards.

Lander will continue its weekend with a game against Carson-Newman at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.