GREENWOOD – The Lander wrestling team is set to finish the regular season with a trip to UNC Pembroke on Tuesday, February 15.
QUICK HITTERS
Location: Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court (Pembroke, N.C.)
Time: 7 pm
Lander's Record: 10-2, 8-0 SACC
(RV) UNC Pembroke's Record: 6-7, 4-2 SACC
First Met: Feb. 5, 2020 (43-0 UNCP)
Last Met: Feb. 11, 2021 (28-6 UNCP)
What's next: NCAA Super Region II Championship (Pembroke, N.C.)
STORYLINES
- For the first time in program history, the Lander wrestling team has claimed the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas title.
- The Bearcats, in just their third year as a program, have battled for the conference championship the past two seasons.
- Lander took down Belmont Abbey on the road 19-13 on Saturday.
- The Bearcats started with three straight wins to go up 10-0. Isham Peace and Elijah Lusk both earned wins by decision while Zeth Brower earned a win by major decision.
- The Crusaders would then rattle off three wins by decisions to make it a 10-9 contest before Lander would win the next three matches to pull away.
- Jack Bond started a stretch of three wins by decision, with Carter Shipp and Darius Parker joining him. Shipp battled to overtime where he eventually got a takedown to win 3-1.
- Lander enters with a 10-2 record and an 8-0 record in the SACC.
- The only two losses this season for Lander have come against ranked opponents. Lander fell to nationally-ranked West Liberty and St. Cloud State in the Carolina Clash earlier this season
- The Braves are 6-7 overall this season after a tough schedule.
- UNC Pembroke started the season off 0-3 after losing to West Liberty, Glenville State and St. Cloud State at the Carolina Clash.
- They also suffered losses to Indianapolis and Colorado Mesa at the NWCA National Duals in Louisville, Ky.
- The Braves are 4-1 in their last five matches, with a loss to Belmont Abbey on Feb. 5 being the only blemish. They've defeated Queens (N.C.), Emmanuel, Coker and most recently Mount Olive.
- The Braves defeated Mount Olive 33-6 on the road on February 9.
- Lander will be looking for its first win against UNC Pembroke, as the Bearcats have gone 0-2 in the previous two meetings.
- The Bearcats will soon be returning to Pembroke, as the NCAA Super Region II Championships will be hosted by the Braves on February 26.
#cLawsUp | @LanderWrestling