GREENWOOD – Inady Legiste, Tommy Moore and Nigel Colvin scored a combined 44 points as the Lander Bearcats outlasted Georgia Southwestern 76-73 in a Peach Belt Conference showdown Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Phillip Burwell hit two free throws with 23 seconds left to give Lander the lead for good at 75-73.
The Bearcats improved to 10-2 overall, 2-0 in the Peach Belt. The Hurricanes fell to 9-3, 1-1.
Legiste led Lander with 17 points while grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots.
Moore hit six of seven shots from the floor, finishing with 14 points for the Bearcats. He scored two baskets in the last minute of the first half and his final 10 points after the intermission.
Colvin scored a big three-point play off a dunk late in the game and added clutch free throws, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the second half for Lander. Connor McKay led the Bearcats with 10 rebounds.
Georgia Southwestern's Christian Koonce led all scorers with 20 points. Tim Hill Jr. scored 13 points for the Hurricanes, Jordan Johnson added 11 points while Jakwon Moore led the visitors with nine rebounds.
Torrin Andrews made a 3-pointer on Lander's opening possession and another with 14:24 left in the first half, giving the hosts an 8-5 lead. McKay scored twice as the Bearcats led 16-9 with 11:16 to go.
Jordan Johnson's fast-break layup pulled the Hurricanes within 18-14 with 9:06 left. Burwell's spin move inside for a layup and Dominic Stanford's right corner 3-pointer pushed Lander's lead to 25-16 with 6:37 to go.
Legiste drove inside two defenders for a layup and three-point play as the Bearcats led 30-18 with 4:16 left.
Moore scored Lander's final two baskets of the half as the lead was cut to 34-30 at the intermission.
Stanford's 3-pointer gave the Bearcats a 39-34 advantage two minutes into the second half. However, Georgia Southwestern took its first lead since the 15:15 mark of the first half on Koonce's 3-pointer, making it 42-41.
Lander responded with seven unanswered points as Legiste made a 3-pointer, Moore collected a steal and driving layup, and Moore scored again on a crossover move to the basket and a 48-42 lead.
Georgia Southwestern's Jordan Johnson and Jalen Johnson hit back-to-back treys, tying the game at 50-apiece with 13 minutes to go.
Jakwon Moore's 3-pointer knotted the game at 56-all and Bryce Turner's free throw gave the Hurricanes their first lead since it was 5-3, making it 57-56 midway through the second half.
Down 59-58, Lander regained the lead by three when Legiste put back his own miss and Colvin made two free throws. Tommy Moore's 3 from the right corner gave the Bearcats a 65-60 lead with 7:30 to go.
The Hurricanes tied it at 66-all with 5:31 left on Jakwon Moore's bucket. But with 3:44 to go, Stanford stole a pass near mid-court and got the ball to Colvin for a dunk and three-point play giving the Blue and Gold a 70-66 advantage.
Hall converted a three-point play giving Georgia Southwestern a 73-72 lead with 1:38 left.
Colvin was fouled off a back-door pass from McKay and made one of two free throws to tie the game for Lander, 73-apiece, with 1:32 to go.
The Hurricanes missed two shots and then Legiste's layup wouldn't fall. But after an official review, the Bearcats were awarded the offensive rebound with 44 seconds left.
Burwell missed a 3-point attempt, chased down his own rebound, was fouled and made both free throws giving Lander a 75-73 lead with 23 seconds to go against his former team. Burwell made all six of his free throw attempts in the game.
Jalen Johnson drove to the basket and missed, but the Hurricanes forced a jump ball and had the possession arrow in their favor with 12 seconds left.
Jalen Johnson attempted a game-winning 3-point attempt from about three feet behind the arc and misfired. Colvin grabbed the defensive board and was fouled at the buzzer, hitting one of two free throws for the game's final point.
