GREENWOOD, S.C. – A red-hot first half from Lander and Georgia Southwestern's toughest shooting night from beyond the arc this season proved decisive Wednesday night as the Hurricanes fell 84-62 in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action at Finis Horne Arena.
GSW (16-9, 9-8 PBC) never led in the contest as conference-leading Lander (19-5, 14-3 PBC) shot 64.3 percent in the opening half and built a 21-point halftime advantage the Hurricanes were unable to erase.
First-Half Run Sets the Tone
The Hurricanes trailed just 14-12 midway through the first half after a
Deonte Williams dunk capped a strong early stretch inside.
But Lander responded with a decisive surge.
After cutting the margin to two, GSW went more than four minutes without a field goal while the Bearcats ripped off a 16-3 run, stretching the lead into double figures. Lander would push the advantage to as many as 22 late in the half before settling for a 48-27 cushion at the break.
The Bearcats shot 18-of-28 from the floor in the first 20 minutes and knocked down four three-pointers, forcing the Hurricanes into catch-up mode the rest of the night.
Williams, Reaves Lead the Effort
Williams paced GSW with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding three rebounds.
Amir Reaves followed with 15 points and four boards.
The Hurricanes found success attacking the paint — scoring 44 points inside — and generated 15 fast-break points.
Matthew Webster pulled down eight rebounds, while the GSW bench contributed 14 points.
But perimeter consistency never arrived.
Season-Low Marks from Deep, at the Line
Georgia Southwestern finished just 4-of-22 (18.2%) from three-point range — its lowest three-point percentage of the season.
The Hurricanes also endured one of their most difficult nights at the free throw line, going 6-of-12 (50.0%). The six made free throws tied for the fewest in a game this season, while the 50 percent mark matched the team's lowest free throw percentage of the year.
Ball movement was limited as well. GSW recorded just eight assists — the second-lowest total in a game this season.
Meanwhile, Lander cooled off in the second half but maintained control, building a lead as large as 30 before the Hurricanes trimmed the final margin to 22.
Defensive Effort Not Enough
Georgia Southwestern held its own on the glass with 39 rebounds and forced nine Lander turnovers, but the Bearcats' early efficiency created too large a gap.
Lander finished at 47.6 percent from the field and 75 percent at the line, placing steady pressure on the Hurricanes throughout the contest.
What It Means
With the loss, GSW slips to 9-8 in Peach Belt Conference play with the regular season entering its final stretch. GSW is tied with Flagler in the win column for the sixth seed in the PBC Tournament and trails its next opponent, Georgia College & State University, by a game for the fifth spot with three league games remaining.
Next Up
The Hurricanes will have to play spoiler on Saturday as Georgia College's homecoming opponent at 4 p.m. to help solidify themselves in the middle of the pack of the PBC standings.
