COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Lander men's basketball team earned a key road victory in Peach Belt Conference play on Saturday afternoon, defeating Columbus State 95-90. 

The Bearcats (10-14, 9-9 PBC) led for 37:03 of the game and picked up a regular season split with the Cougars (12-11, 8-10 PBC).

Lander shot 53.0 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from beyond the arc. Marquel Wiggins led the Bearcats with 21 points, while Jordan Dingle netted 15 off the bench. DeShundre Rucker finished just shy off a double-double with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Elijah Alston recorded 11 points, while Rahu Purdie and TJ Knight each posted 10 points. 

The Bearcats led by four with 9:21 remaining before embarking on an 11-3 run over the ensuing 3:17, capped by back-to-back baskets from Wiggins. From there, the Cougars would pull no closer than seven until the waning seconds, when Columbus State knocked down its final three baskets of the afternoon to cut the deficit to five. 

Lander is back in action Monday night, traveling to Georgia Southwestern at 7:30 p.m.