GREENWOOD, S.C. –
Nigel Colvin scored a game-high 25 points, but the Lander Bearcats could not make an early fast start hold up and lost to Peach Belt Conference rival Young Harris 86-76 Wednesday night at Horne Arena.
Lander fell to 9-11 overall and 4-7 in the Peach Belt.
The Mountain Lions won at Horne Arena for the first time ever in eight meetings, improving to 5-16 overall this season and 2-10 in the PBC. It was their second consecutive league victory.
Colvin scored his 25 points on nine of 15 shooting from the floor, including 6 of 11 from behind the arc. The sophomore Lake Superior State transfer fell two points shy of his LU career high of 27 points Nov. 12, 2021, versus Southern Wesleyan.
Navaughn Maise added a career-high 15 points for the Bearcats as the freshman made six of seven shots from the floor while grabbing seven rebounds.
Dominic Stanford scored 12 points for Lander, DeAndre Robinson added 10 points while Jared Sherfield paced the team with eight boards and five assists. Maise also had five assists while DaJuan Moorer blocked two shots for the Blue and Gold.
Lenny Pradia led Young Harris with 23 points on eight of 12 shooting. Carl Cleveland added 17 points on six on nine makes, Karl Chavis scored 14 points, and Seth McCoy 12 points. Caleb Towns also scored 12 points while pacing the visitors with seven rebounds.
The Bearcats started out red hot, hitting four of their first five attempts from 3-point range to take leads of 11-0 and 14-6. Colvin knocked down three of them while Stanford had the other.
But then Lander went cold, missing five consecutive shots and also two free throws over a four-minute stretch while falling behind 18-14. The Mountain Lions took that first lead thanks to a 12-0 run behind the shooting of Cleveland and Chavis.
McCoy hit a pair of 3-pointers, increasing Young Harris's lead to 26-21 with 8:35 left in the half, completing a 26-10 run.
The Blue and Gold quickly tied it at 26 on Sherfield's layup and Tommy Moore's 3-pointer.
Lander used another 5-0 run to regain the lead at 33-32 with 3:29 left on Colvin's 3-pointer and Stanford's jumper from the free-throw line. Stanford's breakaway dunk gave the Bearcats a 35-34 edge with 2:22 to go.
Lander led 39-37 at the intermission as both teams hit seven treys in the half.
Pradia's layup capped a 7-0 run as the Mountain Lions grabbed a 44-41 lead early in the second half. But the Blue and Gold regained a 46-44 advantage on Maise's layup and Colvin's 3-pointer.
A basket by Towns at the midway point of the second half gave Young Harris a 58-51 lead, their largest of the game to that point.
The Bearcats responded with 10 unanswered points to take a 61-58 advantage with 8:31 to go. Colvin made a layup, Maise converted a three-point play, Maise followed with a game-tying layup, and Stanford put Lander on top with a 3-pointer.
Colvin's sixth trey of the night gave the Blue and Gold a 64-60 lead at 8:14. But the Mountain Lions went on a 10-2 run including a dunk by Towns, two Pradia 3-pointers and two Anterrious Rhyan free throws to regain a 70-66 advantage near the six-minute mark. They would not trail again.
Pradia's fifth trey gave Young Harris a 77-69 lead with 3:11 to go, its biggest of the night.
Maise's free throws cut Lander's deficit to 79-74 with 2:03 left. The Bearcats forced a missed shot as the shot clock was winding down and therefore had a chance to make it a one-possession game but committed a costly turnover with 1:27 remaining.
The Mountain Lions committed a shot clock violation with 57 seconds to go, giving Lander another opportunity. But the Bearcats missed a 3-point attempt and then Young Harris added free throws.
