MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College Men's Basketball team (19-5, 11-4 PBC) trailed by as much as 19 points, clawing all the way back to beat Lander University (10-14, 5-10 PBC) 58-53 Wednesday at the Centennial Center.

The Bobcats took advantage of some full-court pressure and traps to go on a second-half surge. Down 42-23 at the 15:23 mark, GC went on a 17-0 run.

The first second-half lead for GC came at the 5:10 mark, when Wesley Simpson (DeLand, Florida/Union Grove HS [Ga.]) completed a three-point play off a pass from Jordan Thomas (Conyers).  

Lander got it back to a one-possession game at 56-53 with 41 seconds left, but missed a go-ahead three, and Thomas pulled in the board. A pair of Simpson free-throws helped solidify the win.

Simpson finished with a game-high 27 points, including 4-for-5 from long range. He also pulled in seven rebounds. Thomas had 19 points, as the duo combined for 79% of the team's scoring.

GC shot just 25% in the first half, then flipped that with 41% shooting in the second to overcome the Bearcats. The Bobcats trailed by 19 at the 4:10 mark in the first half at 30-11. GC went on a little surge into the half, still trailing by 15 at the break.

The win puts GC at 11-4 in PBC play, good for third in the league standings. The top eight teams qualify for the PBC Tournament in March, with the top four getting to host an opening-round game.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m., traveling to Clayton State University.

As a proud recipient of the 2021 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GC Athletics is now two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the league's sportsmanship honor. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.