GREENWOOD –
Noah Dunn scored 24 points while
Jeremiah Holloway added a career-high 22 points as the Lander Bearcats beat USC Aiken 94-84 Saturday afternoon in the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams.
Lander improved to 5-3 overall and 1-0 in the Peach Belt with the victory at Horne Arena. The Pacers fell to 5-3, 0-1.
Dunn made nine of 12 shots from the floor, including three of four from behind the 3-point arc to pace the Bearcats.
Holloway made eight of 10 shots including three of four from 3-point range for Lander. His previous career high was 16 points versus Francis Marion on Nov. 20, 2024.
Tim Steele made three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points for the Blue and Gold.
Greyson Pritzl paced the Bearcats with six assists while
Torrin Andrews had five assists.
Lander out-rebounded USC Aiken 37-35, with
Inady Legiste leading the way with seven boards.
The Bearcats made 34 of 63 shots from the floor (54 percent) including 13 of 29 from behind the arc (45 percent). The Pacers hit 31 of 70 shots (44 percent) including eight of 26 from behind the 3-point line (31 percent).
"That's a heck of a ball club," Lander head coach
Omar Wattad said of USC Aiken. "I'm proud of my guys. That's not an easy victory."
Davion Cunningham led the Pacers with 31 points while Rhyjon Blackwell added 21 points. Their leading scorer on the season Jalen McCoy who was averaging almost 24 points per game was held to nine points, not scoring a field goal until 12 minutes were left in the game.
Dunn and Holloway led the charge for Lander.
"
Noah Dunn and I had a pretty honest meeting and he has done everything plus and then some this off-season," Wattad said. "I learned from one of the greats at Georgetown John Thompson III that players are made in the summer. He is seeing the fruits of his labor. He is a high character individual and a great teammate."
Wattad said of Holloway, "Jeremiah can shoot it. He changed his jump shot in the off-season. He stuck with it. He gained confidence and just got better and better."
The game was tied at 20 apiece at the midway point of the first half with Holloway scoring half of Lander's points, making two 3-pointers and a pair of driving layups. Dunn made a jumper from the free-throw line and a 3-pointer, while Steele also had a trey.
The Bearcats scored eight unanswered points to take a 32-27 lead with 6:15 to go.
Terry Leonard Jr. swished a 3-pointer from the right side, Legiste made a trey from the top of the key, and
Dominic Stanford dunked off a back-door pass from Legiste.
The Blue and Gold stayed hot from behind the arc, hitting four consecutive treys. Steele made two while Holloway and Pritzl each swished one as Lander led 46-37 with two minutes until halftime. The Bearcats made eight out of 10 treys over a five-plus minute stretch.
The Pacers ended the half on a 6-0 run as Cunningham converted a three-point play and drained a 3-pointer, pulling the visitors within 46-43 at the break.
Lander took its largest lead of the game at 54-45 with 17:06 left when Holloway drove around the defense for a layup.
Cunningham scored seven points during a 10-0 run as Aiken took a 55-54 advantage with 13:26 to go.
Dunn scored nine points and Leonard Jr. five, leading the Bearcats on a game-changing 16-4 run giving them their first double-figure lead at 72-61 with 6:35 left. Dunn made two treys during the run while Leonard Jr. swished two floaters.
Legiste nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner as the Blue and Gold led 82-71 with 2:20 to go.
Steele made a hard-fought layup with 1:32 left, extending Lander's advantage to 84-74.
Andrews added a layup while Holloway, Steele, Dunn and Pritzl each made two of two free throws to clinch the win.
The Blue and Gold's next game is Monday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. versus the College of Coastal Georgia.
