Box Score GREENWOOD, S.C. – The score tied with just over two minutes remaining, USC Aiken closed out the game on a 5-0 run to garner a 67-62 Peach Belt Conference victory over Lander on Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
USC Aiken with the win improves to 11-6 (5-5 PBC). Lander is now 7-9 (1-8 PBC).
USC Aiken commenced the game to the tune of a 12-4 run over the first four minutes. USC Aiken's Re'mon Nelson (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) capped off the early run with a three-pointer.
Byron Faison (Sumter, S.C./Crestwood) hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers a few minutes later to leave the Pacers up by 11 at 20-9. The early double-digit lead by USC Aiken forced Lander head coach Jeff Burkhamer to take a full time out with 11:42 left on the clock in the first half of action.
Lander would close the gap to just three down the stretch in the first stanza, but USC Aiken was still able to take a six-point advantage into the locker rooms at 34-28.
The second half began with Lander knocking down two consecutive three-pointers to even the game at 34-34 with a little over a minute off the game clock in the second half. Nelson connected on a driving lay-up shortly thereafter to give the Pacers back the lead at 36-34.
A little while later, the Bearcats had pulled themselves ahead 46-43 in the game by outscoring the Pacers 14-8 through the first 8:13 of the second half.
The three-point lead would not last long for Lander with USC Aiken pulling back ahead by one at 47-46 by the second media time out of the second half at the 9:58 mark.
The score would be tied once again at 58-58 at the 3:45 mark of the second half, but Faison would drive in for a lay-up to earn USC Aiken the lead once again at 60-58 with under 3:30 to play in the game.
The score was 62-62 a little while later, but Alvin Brown (Fort Washington, Md./James Madison) hit a lay-up with under two minutes to play to garner the Pacers a two-point edge at 64-62. After Lander failed to connect on their next offensive possession, Brown found Michael Technow (Boca Raton, Fla./American) on USC Aiken's next time down the court for an easy bucket underneath and a four-point USC Aiken lead at 66-62 with 50 seconds left in the game.
USC Aiken would add one more point on a free throw by Sterling Council (Camden, S.C./Camden) to settle the final score at 67-62.
USC Aiken concluded the win over Lander shooting 53.1 percent (26-for-49) as a team. Lander shot 35.9 percent (23-for-64) as a team in the loss to the Pacers.
Four Pacers ended their afternoon in double figures with Faison leading the way with 17 points. Brown and Nelson both had 11 points, while Seilern ended his efforts with 10 points.
Brown also had five blocks in the game to finish USC Aiken's two games this week with 18 total blocks.
Jermel Kennedy led four Bearcats in double figures with 19 points.
USC Aiken will next travel to the Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta, Ga. for a 7:30 p.m. contest with rival Augusta State on Monday, Jan. 24.
The game will be the second game of a men's and women's Peach Belt Conference basketball doubleheader with the 17th-ranked USC Aiken women scheduled to take on the Augusta State women prior to the men's game. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. from Christenberry Fieldhouse.
Both of the games will be able to be followed live on USC Aiken's official athletic website at www.PacerSports.com.
