LAKELAND, Fla. – Despite
Inady Legiste's career high 27-point night, the Lander men's basketball team fell 100-98 in overtime to host Florida Southern in the Saturday nightcap on the first day of the Mocs Christmas Classic at Jenkins Field House.
The Bearcats, who had won four straight heading into the weekend, now sit at 6-4 through 10 games while Florida Southern improved to 11-2.
Legiste made 13 of 16 shots (81.3%) before fouling out near the end of regulation, pulled down five rebounds and blocked a pair of shots in an all-around effort.
Noah Dunn had 18 points and six rebounds and was joined in double figures by
Tim Steele (14 points) and
Dominic Stanford (10).
Jeremiah Holloway grabbed a team best eight rebounds on the night while
Torrin Andrews doled out six assists to lead Lander.
Legiste scored the Blue and Gold's first eight points as the Bearcats raced out to an 11-2 lead when Andrews drained a 3 just 3:52 into the game.
Lander extended the lead to 21-10 after back-to-back Stanford layups with 12:14 left, a margin the Bearcats maintained over the next four minutes as they enjoyed a 33-22 margin with 8:03 remaining in the first half.
The Mocs pulled within 35-32 out of the media timeout with the score later reading 50-46 Bearcats at halftime.
Neither team led by more than six points in a back-and-forth second half.
The Bearcats trailed by four points with 3:26 to go in regulation, 89-85, though Steele and Holloway nailed clutch free throws to even the game back up with 2:33 left.
Steele's layup with 1:56 remaining gave the Bearcats a brief advantage before Florida Southern tied it at 91 with 50 ticks left. The Mocs had two chances on their final possession to win the game but both shots glanced off the front of the rim and sent the game to overtime.
Dunn pulled up for a long 3-pointer after snaring a defensive rebound to try to win it for Lander at the end of the overtime period but was unsuccessful.
The Bearcats play again tomorrow against another Sunshine State Conference-member, Barry, at 5 p.m. The Bucs beat New Haven 70-69 in Saturday's opener.
