GREENWOOD – The Lander Bearcats built a 28-9 lead but could not hold on, missing an opportunity to win it in the final seconds while falling to Fayetteville State 66-63 Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Lander fell to 5-2 while the Broncos improved to 5-6.
Ajang Aguek paced the Bearcats with 11 points and five rebounds. Noah Dunn added 10 points for Lander while Chandler Lindsey contributed eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Tommy Moore scored nine points and Jared Sherfield eight for the Blue and Gold.
Tyler Foster was the game's top scorer and rebounder with 18 points and seven boards for Fayetteville State. Jacob Crutchfield scored 13 and Kalen Coleman 11 for the Broncos.
Dominic Stanford had a layup off a teammate's air ball, delivered a two-handed dunk off a steal and pass from Sherfield, and added a 3-pointer from the right wing to highlight Lander's game-opening 13-0 run.
The Broncos missed their first six shots from the floor and didn't make their first field goal until 13:08 left in the first half, pulling within 16-5 on Foster's three-point play.
Dunn scored inside and then Moore and Nigel Colvin made 3-pointers during an 8-0 run, extending the Blue and Gold's lead to 28-9 with 6:39 left.
Foster's 3-pointer capped a 10-0 run, pulling the Broncos within 28-19 with 1:57 to go. Lindsey's driving layup with 1:05 left ended Lander's six-and-a-half minute scoring drought, making it 30-19.
But Marcus Foster's long trey from just inside the Bearcat logo at the buzzer pulled Fayetteville State within 30-24 at the intermission as the visitors closed the first half on a 15-2 run.
The Broncos rallied within 33-31 early in the second half and had a chance to take the lead but missed a 3-point attempt. Lander responded with Aquek and Lindsey hitting treys for a 39-31 advantage with 16:23 left.
Sherfield's dunk off a loose ball gave the Bearcats a 41-33 lead with 15:27 to go. But Jordan Burch's turnaround jumper in the lane pulled Fayetteville State within 44-43 left 11:42 left.
Burch's two free throws gave the Broncos their first lead of the game at 45-44 with 10:39 to go while Coleman's 3-pointer from the top of the key pushed the advantage to 50-46 with 9:12 left.
Lander regained the lead with a 7-0 run. Dunn made a turnaround jumper and then collected a steal and drove for a layup, and Jaylon Pugh converted a three-point play for a 53-50 advantage with 7:24 to go.
Fayetteville State regained the lead on Cress Worthy's 3-pointer, making it 55-54 with 6:04 left. Aguek's dunk off a pass from Jacob Cooper brought the Blue and Gold into a 57-all with 4:50 remaining.
Burch's two free throws gave the Broncos a 61-57 lead with 2:37 to go. Moore's spinning hook shot in the lane pulled Lander within 61-59 with 2:17 left.
After a back-court violation against the visitors, Sherfield had a chance to give the Bearcats a lead but his 3-point attempt from the left corner rimmed out. Foster's free throws gave Fayetteville State a 63-59 lead at the 1:10 mark.
Moore hit two free throws for Lander while Crutchfield made one of two for the Broncos as they led 64-61 inside one minute left.
Aguek's dunk off an inbounds pass from Moore cut the Bearcat deficit to 64-63 with 38 seconds to go.
Fayetteville State turned the ball over with 11 seconds left, giving Lander a chance to win it. But the Bearcats missed a 3-point attempt on an air ball in the final seconds and Crutchfield added two more free throws to clinch the victory.
