GREENWOOD – Dominic Stanford led four double-figure scorers with 16 points as the Lander Bearcats extended their winning streak to six, beating rival Erskine 72-60 Monday night at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 6-1. The Flying Fleet fell to 1-5.
Stanford was the most efficient scorer for the Bearcats, making seven of 11 shots from the floor.
Torrin Andrews added 15 points for Lander while Inady Legiste contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.
Tommy Moore added 10 points for the Bearcats while Nigel Colvin contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Two other Lander players who did not score much contributed in big ways. Noah Dunn had only four points but led the team with 10 rebounds. Phillip Burwell did not attempt a shot from the floor but paced his squad with nine assists.
Erskine's Christian Monroe led all scorers with 21 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. Jalen Robinson added 12 points for the visitors.
Jaylen Prioleau scored 10 points while leading the Flying Fleet with eight rebounds.
Lander built a 13-7 lead over the first four minutes of the game with Burwell assisting on four of the five baskets. Burwell found Legiste inside twice for layups, assisted on an Andrews 3-pointer, and fed Stanford with an alley-oop pass for a dunk.
Stanford's 3-pointer from the right corner increased the Bearcat lead to 20-12 at the 12-minute mark.
Lander grabbed its first double-digit advantage with 9:12 left in the half on another Andrews 3-pointer, making it 24-14.
Robinson and Monroe made 3-pointers to pull the Flying Fleet within 24-20. Erskine then had a chance to make it a one-possession game but missed a layup.
Legiste made a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Burwell threw another lob pass to Stanford for a dunk, increasing the Bearcat lead to 29-20 inside six minutes to go.
Jayden Byrd's 3-pointer from the left corner cut the Fleet's deficit to 30-25 with 3:18 left.
Colvin's put-back and Dunn's mid-range jumper kept Lander in front, helping the hosts take a 34-28 lead into the break.
Erskine pulled within 37-33 one minute into the second half when Monroe converted a three-point play.
Moore's transition layup off a turnover extended the Bearcat lead to 41-33. But Monroe followed his 3-pointer with a layup as the Fleet drew within 41-40 with 15:12 left.
Moore drove the baseline for a layup and Burwell found Stanford inside for another layup as Lander's lead increased to 45-40.
Erskine pulled back within a possession three times at 45-42, 47-44 and 49-46. But after Legiste made a layup for the Bearcats, the Fleet missed two out of three free throws after being fouled from behind the arc.
Lander answered Erskine's missed opportunity by increasing its lead back to double figures at 57-47 at the midway point of the second half on 3-pointers by Moore and Colvin.
Back came the Fleet again, cutting its deficit to 57-53 with 7:05 to go on Moses Cheek's 3-pointer.
But Dunn drove from the top of the key to the basket for a layup, Colvin swished a 3-pointer from the left corner, and Andrews did the same from the opposite corner as the Bearcats went back up 65-53 with 4:42 left.
Burwell let the shot clock wind down, then drove into the paint and found Ajang Aguek under the basket for a layup and 67-55 Lander lead with 2:27 to go.
Byrd and Robinson scored on consecutive possessions, pulling Erskine within 67-59 inside the two-minute mark. But Colvin found Aguek open again under the basket for a layup, making it 69-59 with 1:35 left.
Andrews added three of three free throws to clinch the victory for the Bearcats.
