GREENWOOD -  The Lander wrestling team fell to Belmont Abbey 20-18 in a hard-fought battle at Horne Arena on Saturday.

The Bearcats move to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the SACC. Belmont Abbey moves to 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the SACC.

The Bearcats began the match trading the first two weight classes with the Crusaders. Sophomore Elijah Gray tied the match at 3-3 after winning by decision at the 133-weight class. Gray is now 4-1 on the season.

Lander would fall behind Belmont Abbey 11-3 before senior Jauquin Olivas gave the Blue and Gold some life with a major decision to make it 11-7. Olivas is now 3-1 this season. A pin in the next round against Lander put Belmont Abbey up 17-7, or so it would stay for the short time being. Redshirt sophomore Jack Bond came out swinging for the Bearcats once again, picking up his second major decision of the season to close the gap to 17-11. Bond has moved his way to 4-1 this season.

After sophomore Ryan Humel fell in a tight match 2-0 to give the Crusaders a 20-11 lead, sophomore Darius Parker gave the Bearcats hope with a 14-5 major decision to put Lander in striking position. The Bearcats would not be able to overcome the deficit however, with redshirt sophomore Cameron Coffman only able to get three points against his opponent. Coffman is a crisp 4-0 this season at the 285-weight class.

The Bearcats return to action on February 4 as Lander hosts Allen University.

#cLawsUp | @LanderWrestling