MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University Men's Basketball team (6-12, 2-7 PBC) fell victim to a strong long-distance effort in a 69-54 loss to Lander University (15-4, 7-2 PBC) Wednesday in the Centennial Center.

The Bearcats dialed it up frequently from long range, hitting 15-of-43 for 35%, while making just 10 shots from inside the arc for the night.

The Bobcats were led by freshman Brendan Rigsbee (Suwanee) with 14 points, the fourth-straight double-digit effort for the guard. He also pulled in six boards, one off the team lead.

Classmate Ian Davis (Lawrenceville) chipped in with 13 points, dropping in half of his six three-point shots along the way. The rookie guard also led GCSU with seven boards and in assists with four.

The Bobcats started strong with an 8-2 advantage early, capped by an Austin Sloan (Warner Robins) fastbreak dunk. It didn't take long for Lander to get its first lead at 11-10, stretching that out to 10 by the half at a 40-30 score. The Bearcats came out of the break on a 12-1 run to push it further out of reach. Sloan finished with six points, five boards and four blocks.

The loss puts the Bobcats at a 35-25 lead in the all-time series. Lander has won the last two matchups.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3:30 p.m., playing host to Columbus State University.

Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. 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 @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.