Bearcats done in by second-half run in road loss to Tusculum:
The Lander men’s basketball team could not slow down Tusculum in the second half as the Bearcats fell to the Pioneers, 84-61, on Saturday afternoon.
Lander (1-4) trailed by five at halftime before Tusculum (3-3) embarked on a 39-22 run over the final 13:30 to put the game away. Overall, the Pioneers outscored Lander 46-28 in the second half.
Marquel Wiggins led the Bearcats with 17 points, while Elijah Alston scored nine points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Dillon Smith came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points for the Pioneers, knocking down five of his eight three-point attempts, including three on three consecutive Tusculum possessions in the second half.
Tusculum held a 53-29 advantage on the glass while going 10-of-29 from beyond the arc. Lander was 1-of-7 from long range on the afternoon. The two teams combined to attempt 65 free throw, with Tusculum converting 24-of-32 and the Bearcats making 22-of-33 attempts.
The Bearcats host rival Erskine on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Finis Horne Arena.
