GREENWOOD – Torrin Andrews led five double-figure scorers with 17 points as the 15th-ranked Lander Bearcats pulled into a first place tie in the Peach Belt Conference with an 85-78 victory over Clayton State Saturday afternoon on Homecoming at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 18-4 overall, 10-2 in the PBC. North Georgia lost to Columbus State in overtime, dropping into a tie with the Bearcats.
The Lakers fell to 7-15, 3-9.
Andrews made five of seven from behind the 3-point arc and also led Lander with eight rebounds.
Phillip Burwell scored 16 points while pacing the Bearcats with seven assists.
Noah Dunn scored 13 points for Lander while Ajang Aguek and Inady Legiste added 10 points apiece. Jacob Cooper contributed nine points and six assists.
Keandre Bowles led Clayton State with a game-high 23 points, making seven of nine shots from the floor and eight of nine free throws.
T.J. Stargel added 20 points while leading the Lakers with five assists and three steals. Travis Harper II scored 14 points for Clayton State while Mohamad Diallo added 10 points and eight boards.
There were six ties and five lead changes in the game's first eight-and-a-half minutes, the last tie at 16-all. Andrews made two 3-pointers while Dominic Stanford and Dunn had one apiece for 12 of Lander's 16 points.
Aguek scored down low on an entry pass from Burwell to break the 16-all tie, Dunn made a floater, Andrews swished his third 3-pointer, Aguek dunked off an alley-oop pass from Cooper, and Aguek converted a three-point play as the Bearcats led 28-21 at the nine-minute mark.
Lander took its first double-digit lead at 33-23 with 7:40 left in the first half on Stanford's 3-pointer from the left corner.
Burwell converted a three-point play on a drive to the basket and then collected a steal and driving layup, extending the Bearcat lead to 38-26 with 5:38 to go.
Bowles converted a three-point play, added two more free throws, and made a 3-pointer as the Lakers cut their deficit to 39-34 with 3:57 left.
Andrews took an inbounds pass from Cooper in the left corner and made his fourth 3-pointer, ending Clayton State's 8-0 run.
Stargel drilled a jumper from behind the free-throw line, pulling the Lakers within 41-38 with 1:29 to go.
But Lander closed the first half strong as Legiste made a layup, Andrews swished another 3-pointer, and Burwell drove the length of the floor and hit a short floater with two seconds left for a 48-40 halftime lead.
Burwell's 3-pointer from the left corner gave the Bearcats a 54-45 advantage with 15:14 left in the game. Stargell's 3-pointer pulled Clayton State within 60-59 with 10:52 to go.
Dunn helped Lander stay out front with a 3-pointer as the hosts led 63-59 at the midway point of the second half.
Harper's technical foul free throws pulled the Lakers within 63-62 at the nine-minute mark. Dunn answered yet again with a trey as the Bearcats led 66-62 with 8:25 left.
Cooper was awarded a goal-tending basket that increased the Lander lead to 70-64 with 6:46 left. But Clayton State seven-footer Diallo dunked two possessions in a row as the visitors were within 72-70 with 5:32 to go.
Bowles made two free throws to pull the Lakers into a 72-all tie with 4:21 left.
Lander quickly regained the lead when Burwell drove into traffic and passed the ball out to Legiste, who hit a 3-pointer for a 75-72 lead with 4:05 to go. The Bearcats would not trail again.
Bowles made a jumper, cutting Clayton State's deficit to 77-76 just inside the two-minute mark. Burwell's two free throws pushed the Bearcat lead back to three but the visitors cut it to one again, 79-78.
Andrews scored a big basket for Lander off a pass from Burwell with 55 seconds left, making it 81-78.
Diallo was called for an offensive foul with 38 seconds left, giving the Bearcats a chance to increase their lead. And they did as Cooper made two free throws with 19 seconds left and Burwell added two more with four seconds to go.
