FLORENCE, S.C. – The Lander men's basketball team toughed out a close win against a scrappy Francis Marion squad Saturday afternoon, winning 84-80 on the road.

Lander is now 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the PBC. Francis Marion falls to 3-8 overall and 3-7 in the PBC.

The Bearcats saw four players hit double figures in scoring, with redshirt junior Zane Rankin leading the Blue and Gold with 18 points. The sharpshooter went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 6-of-8 from the floor. He also had eight rebounds along with one assist, steal and block on the day. 

Junior Jermaine Patterson, senior DaJuan Moorer and senior Sidney Robinson all scored 10 or more points. Patterson had 16 while going 9-for-12 from the free-throw line. He also had three assists and three steals. He has now eclipsed 550 career points. Moorer had 14 points along with two rebounds, steals and blocks. Robinson chipped in 13 to round out the list. Senior Deon Berrien, who had six points, is now just two points away from reaching 500 career points as a Bearcat.

Lander began the contest with an 8-2 run, with the first five points scored by the Blue and Gold. Rankin hit two of his five 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the game while junior Jared Sherfield slammed home a dunk in that span. 

Francis Marion would rebound and take its first lead of the game at the 13:24 mark with a 16-15 edge. Lander would respond with a run of its own, using a 12-2 run that saw two 3-pointers from Robinson.

The Bearcats would hold the lead until the 2:26 mark with the Patriots closing taking a one-point advantage on a 3-pointer to go up 37-36. The two squads would trade baskets to go into the half tied at 39.

The Bearcats shot 14-for-29 (.483) from the floor along with going 7-of-12 (.583) from 3-point range in the first frame of action. Francis Marion went 14-for-35 (.400) from the floor and 11-for-30 (.367) from beyond the arc.

The second frame of action saw both teams constantly trade baskets, with neither side leading by more than four in the first 10 minutes of action. 

It wouldn't be until a 7-3 run that Lander was finally able to get separation from Francis Marion due in part to five converted free throws and a jumper from Moorer to make it a 77-71 with four minutes remaining. The Bearcats would lead by as many as seven in the last minute, with a last-second 3-pointer closing the gap to 84-80 to conclude the game. 

The Bearcats have a quick turnaround, as they host Columbus State on February 15 at Horne Arena.

#cLawsUp | @LanderMBB