Related: Men's Basketball Outlasts Fayetteville State In Overtime

GREENWOOD, S.C. – Lander shot nearly 50 percent from the field and used a 13-0 run to bridge the first and second halves and pull away for good as the Bearcats stayed unbeaten with a 99-84 victory over the UNC Pembroke men's basketball team on Saturday evening in Horne Arena.

The setback marked the first of the season for the Braves (7-1, 0-1 PBC) who dropped to 10-13 all-time in Peach Belt Conference openers, as well as 6-17 in league road openers. It was just the fourth win in the last 12 series meetings for the Bearcats (8-0, 1-0) who are off to their second-best start in school history.

Quamain Rose scored a season-best 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting to pace the Black & Gold who also got 16 points from Brandon Watts and a baker's dozen from Brandon Winford. Ben Jacobs came off the bench to post 17 points for the braves as well.

Lander got double-digit scoring efforts from five players, including Klair Crouch who came in off the bench and connected on his first seven shots en route to a game-best 28 points. J.R. Washington keyed a 17-point night with four 3-pointers, while Ricardo Martin turned in his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Lander tallied a 49-32 advantage on the boards to key the outcome, while also getting 38 points from its bench.

"They out-played and out coached. (Lander) was really good, and we didn't play at our best," said UNCP head coach Ben Miller. "It is a tough way to start conference play, but the season is a marathon and not a sprint. Tonight painted a pretty good picture for us as to what we need to do to get better. But, right now, the guys need to get on their studies over the next couple of days and get ready for finals."

Lander had stretched a one-point halftime advantage all the way out to 14 points, 67-53, following a 3-pointer by Washington with 11:44 to play. The Braves got to within seven points, 79-72, on a free throw by Jacobs at the 5:57 mark, but could not get any closer.

UNCP led 11-2 in the early goings of the ballgame, but the Bearcats scratched their way back into the game and took their first lead, 30-29, on a short jumper by Crouch with 7:18 left before the break. The Braves pushed their lead back out to five points, 39-34, on Griffin Pittman's trey six minutes later, but the hosts would eventually lug a 40-39 lead into the locker rooms.

The Braves will be back in action again on December 15 when they open up a six-game home stand against 18th-ranked Mount Olive (9-0) in the English E. Jones Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.