GREENWOOD – Johann Collins (Raleigh, N.C.) and Sean Dixon (Marietta, Ga.) made big plays in the final 1:20 , leading Presbyterian to a 53-51 non-conference victory over Lander Saturday night at Horne Arena. 

Collins led all scorers with 21 points and Dixon added 11 for the Blue Hose (4-3). Collins made 9-of-11 free throws. Jarred Jackson paced the Bearcats (5-4) with 17 points while J.T. Greene added 15 points. Jason Davis added eight points and five assists.

The game was a defensive struggle from the start with both teams working the shot clock. There were four lead changes in the final 2:10 with Collins converting a three-point play to give PC the lead for good at 49-48 at the 1:20 mark.

After Lander missed a shot with 58 seconds to go, Presbyterian milked the shot clock and as it was about to expire Dixon passed inside to Collins for a layup and 51-48 lead with 26 seconds to go.

The Bearcats turned the ball over with nine seconds left, and Dixon clinched the victory when he took a long in-bounds pass from Grant Herrin (Oviedo, Fl.) and made a layup for a 53-48 lead with six seconds left.

Greene accounted for Lander’s final points when he was fouled behind the three-point line and made all three free throws with 1.9 seconds left.

After the teams played to a 20-all halftime tie, there were three more ties early in the second half. Drew Biggs (Alpharetta, Ga.) hit a three-pointer to give PC the lead at 34-31 and the visitors built their largest lead of the second half to seven , 40-33, on Quinton Farrell’s (Augusta, Ga.)  steal and basket with 7:45 to go.

The Bearcats began to chip away. Jackson’s three-pointer pulled Lander within 44-42 with 4:30 left, and Greene hit a three-pointer from the left corner to give the Bearcats their first lead since early in the second half, 45-44, with 2:10 to go.

Collins hit two free throws to put the Blue Hose back on top, then Jackson hit his third three-pointer of the game to give Lander its last lead of the game, 48-46, with 1:35 to go.

The Bearcats shut PC out over the final 8:28 of the first half, rallying from a deficit of as many as seven to tie it at 20-all at halftime. Lander scored the last six points of the first half.

Collins scored his third basket of the opening half to give the Blue Hose a 20-14 lead at the 8:28 mark. Greene hit a three-pointer to pull the Bearcats within 20-19 at the 6:12 mark, and Jackson ’s free throw with 3:46 to go tied the game.

Tray Ballenger’s (Wellford, S.C.) three-pointer gave PC its biggest lead of the first half at 16-9 at the 11:47 mark.

Lander shot only 29 percent from the floor in the first half (8-for-28), including 13 percent from behind the three-point arc (2-for-16). The Blue Hose shot 44 percent from the floor in the first half (8-for-18) and 43 percent from three-point range (3-for-7). PC had 12 turnovers in the first half to Lander’s five.

For the game, the Blue Hose shot 50 percent from the floor (17-for-34), 79 percent from the free throw line (15-for-19), and 36 percent from three-point range (4-for-11). Lander shot 33 percent from the floor (18-for-54), 73 percent from the line (8-for-11), and 27 percent from behind the three-point line (7-for-26).

PC will be back in action Thursday as they host North Greenville College in a 7 p.m. contest.

Box Score

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