Bearcats Fall to Lincoln Memorial in First Round of NCAA Southeast Regional

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Lander Bearcats noticed their season come to an finish Saturday afternoon once they misplaced to Lincoln Memorial 76-63 within the first spherical of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
 
Sixth-seeded Lander trailed by only a level with 12 minutes to go however was by no means in a position to get the lead the remainder of the way in which in opposition to the third-seeded Railsplitters at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the campus of Augusta College.
 
The Bearcats ended their season at 22-10.
 
Lincoln Memorial improved to 28-4 and advances to the Southeast Regional semifinals Sunday versus both North Georgia or UNC Pembroke, the ultimate 32 of the nationwide match.
 
It was Lander’s first NCAA Match recreation since 2016. The Bearcats gained the Peach Belt Convention in 2020, however the match was canceled as a result of COVID-19.
 
Tommy Moore led Lander with 18 factors, one level shy of his profession excessive. The sophomore guard went 7-for-12 from the ground, together with 4-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc.
 
Jared Sherfield scored 11 factors and led the crew with six rebounds in his remaining recreation as a Bearcat.
 
Jacob Cooper, one of many Peach Belt’s high freshmen, completed with 10 factors and three assists for Lander.
 
Quay Kennedy paced Lincoln Memorial with 14 factors and 9 rebounds. Martez Brown scored 12 factors, Matthew Sells 11 factors, Jordan Visitor 10 factors, and Chase Rankin 9 factors and 7 assists.
 
Lander confronted an 8-1 deficit earlier than heating up as Moore swished a pair of 3-pointers, slicing Lincoln Memorial’s result in 8-7.
 
The Bearcats went on an 8-0 run, turning an 11-7 deficit right into a 15-11 benefit. Navaughn Maise made a pair of layups, Cooper’s bucket within the paint gave Lander the lead, and Sherfield added a put-back.
 
After the Railsplitters tied the sport at 15, the Bearcats regained the lead on Cooper’s lob go to Ajang Aguek for a dunk. Aguek tipped one in off one other Cooper excessive lob go, pulling Lander inside 20-19.
 
Cooper put again his personal miss, giving the Blue and Gold a 25-24 lead with 6:06 left till halftime.
 
Cooper continued to create factors, dribbling inside after which dishing again out to Sherfield for a 3-pointer from the left wing and a 28-24 lead.
 
Lincoln Memorial scored 9 unanswered factors to take a 33-28 benefit. However the Bearcats stormed again shortly to tie it on Cooper’s leap hook within the lane after which Sherfield’s 3-pointer from the highest of the important thing with 1:43 left.
 
Down once more 37-33, Moore made a spin transfer within the lane and scored on a right-handed hook shot to drag Lander inside 37-35 with 19 seconds left.
 
The Bearcats trailed 37-35 on the break.
 
Jordan Walters put again his personal miss, giving Lincoln Memorial a 41-36 benefit with 18 minutes to go.
 
Trailing by eight, Jaylon Pugh acquired a go simply contained in the arc, took a step again and made a 3-pointer to chop Lander’s deficit to 46-41 with 16:19 left.
 
The Railsplitters continued to dominate inside, getting two extra buckets within the paint to construct a 50-41 lead. Moore’s third 3-pointer of the sport pulled the Blue and Gold again inside six with 14:57 to go.
 
Nonetheless trailing 52-44, Aguek spun round defenders for a layup after which Nigel Colvin knocked down a 3-pointer from the appropriate aspect pulling the Bearcats inside 52-49 with 12:36 to go.
 
The comeback continued as Sherfield tipped the ball away from a Lincoln Memorial ball handler towards Maise, who heaved a go to an open Sherfield for a driving dunk as Lander trailed simply 52-51.
 
The uphill battle continued for the Bearcats nevertheless. Now down 57-51, Moore hit a 3-pointer from the left nook pulling them inside 57-54 with 9:15 left.
 
The Railsplitters took their first double-digit lead at 68-57 with 4:34 remaining when Rankin let go an extended finger roll shot from simply contained in the free-throw line that dropped in.
 
Colvin laid the ball excessive off the glass for a basket pulling Lander inside single digits once more. After each groups went scoreless over the subsequent two minutes, Cooper hit a pair of free throws to drag the Bearcats inside 68-61 with 1:40 left.
 
Colvin made a layup between two defenders to drag Lander inside 70-63 with 1:15 to go. However the Bearcats have been outscored 6-0 the remainder of the sport.