MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – A spirited second-half comeback wasn't enough to overcome an early hole as Georgia College Men's Basketball (21-7) fell 83-79 to Lander University (14-14) in a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament Quarterfinal Tuesday at the Centennial Center.

The No. 6-seed Bearcats will advance to take on No. 2-seed Flagler College Friday, March 4 at Augusta University.

With the Bobcats down four at 81-77 with nine seconds left, Jordan Thomas knocked down a shot from deep in the corner and was fouled in the process. With the basket ruled a two-point shot and confirmed on replay, Thomas' ensuing free-throw went from a potential game-tying point to just one point shy. The Bearcats pulled in the rebound from the miss and closed out the game with the two-point upset of the No. 3-seed Bobcats.

Junior Christian Koneman (Chatsworth) was dominant in the second half, netting 33 points for the contest, including a whopping 25 after the halftime break. Koneman's previous single-game best was 17 points. He shot 9-for-16 from the field, 3-for-4 from long range and 12-for-15 from the free-throw line, also pulling in nine rebounds.

Senior Jordan Thomas (Conyers) and junior Wesley Simpson (DeLand, Florida/Union Grove HS [Ga.]) had 19 points apiece, Simpson adding 15 boards for his team-best fourth double-double this season.

Lander shot a blistering 64% from the field in the first half, compared to just 32% from the Bobcats, resulting in a 41-27 halftime lead for the Bearcats. GC came out of the halftime break hot, eventually cutting the lead to single digits for the first time of the second frame at 66-57 with just under eight minutes left.

The score hovered there for a few minutes, with the Bobcats cutting it to a single possession thanks to some sharp long-distance shooting.

The Bobcats now await the NCAA Southeast Regional selections, to be announced Sunday, March 6. GC will hope for an at-large bid and were No. 5 in the most recent region poll.

The proud recipients 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 holds to the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life". Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.