ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. – Although leading by more than 10 points in the second half, the Lander men's basketball team fell 73-70 to the Flagler Saints to conclude the regular season Saturday afternoon.
Lander drops to 20-8 overall and 12-6 in the PBC while Flagler moves to 13-16 overall and 7-11 in the PBC.
Dominic Stanford and Jacob Cooper led the Bearcats in scoring with 16 points each. Navaugh Maise joined Stanford and Cooper in double-figure scoring with 12 and was one rebound away from a double-double.
The Bearcats started the contest up 4-0 after Dominic Stanford and Navaughn Maise hit layups before Flagler hit a 3-pointer to make it a 4-3 game with 18:17 remaining.
Flagler would drain another 3-pointer to go up 6-4 before a layup made it 8-4 Saints with 16:12 left.
Stanford would hit another layup while Jaylon Pugh hit a 3-pointer to get Lander back in front.
Flagler would drain a pair of free throws to go back in front with a 10-9 lead with 15:13 left.
The Bearcats and Saints would be tied with 10 and 14 before Ajang Aguek slammed a dunk to give Lander a 16-14 edge with 12:11 left.
Flagler would get a jumper to fall with 8:12 to take a 21-20 lead before Maise converted on a layup to swing the lead back to Lander while Jacob Cooper sank a 3-pointer to make it 25-21 Lander with 6:17 left in the first.
Maise hit a 3-pointer with 5:08 left to give Lander a 28-23 lead before the Saints went on a 7-0 lead to go up 30-28 with 2:07 remaining in the first half.
Cooper made a layup with 45 seconds to tie the game at 30.
Lander shot 13-of-28 from the field in the first half along with 3-of-13 from 3-point range and 1-of-2 from the free throw line. Flagler shot 11-of-23 from the field in the first half along with going 5-of-13 from 3-point range and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Flagler would score the first points of the second half with a dunk to go up 32-30 before Tommy Moore hit a jumper with 19:08 to tie the game.
Stanford would hit a layup after Pugh sunk a 3-pointer to help Lander go up 37-34 with 17:42 before another layup from Stanford gave Lanfer a 39-34 edge with 17:13 left in the second half.
Jared Sherfield would give the Bearcats an eight-point lead with a layup to put the Blue and Gold up 44-36 with 16:17 remaining.
The Saints would get within six points after a 3-pointer fell to make it a 47-41 game with 13:25 while three straight free throws from Flagler got the home side within three points as the Bearcats.
A jumper from Nigel Colvin would put some needed space between Lander and Flagler while a 3-pointer from Pugh gave Lander a 52-44 lead with 11:54 remaining.
The Bearcats would go up by 10 points after Maise hit a 3-pointer with 9:39 remaining to make it a 57-47 contest.
The Blue and Gold would stretch its lead to 14 after Moore made a layup to push Lander in front 61-47 with 9:02 left.
The Saints wouldn't give up, as the home side got back within five points with 4:22 remaining.
A jumper from Flagler made it 66-63 with 3:25 in the second while a 3-pointer tied the game at 66 with 2:35 left.
Flagler would hit a layup to take a 70-68 lead and would hold on for the win.
The Bearcats will wait to see where the PBC Tournament will be held and what seed they will have. The PBC Tournament is set for March 2 through March 5.
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