PEMBROKE, N.C. – Ronald Zimmerman guided the University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team past previously undefeated No. 22 UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon by a score of 75-58.

The Pacers improve to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in Peach Belt Conference action.

Zimmerman poured in a season-high 31 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the floor, including a seven-of-17 effort from behind the three-point stripe. He was just three points shy of tying his career high of 34 and was just one made three-point bucket short of tying his career-best for made three-point field goals in the victory. Zimmerman also collected a game-high eight rebounds and a game-best five steals while playing all 40 minutes. He netted 20 points in the opening half of play.

DeVontae Wright connected on seven field goals en route to a 17-point, six-assist, five-rebound performance. Paul Larsen amassed 10 points and five rebounds in the win.
 
Coming off the bench, Alvin Brown totaled just four points, but grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots.

The Pacers drained 29-of-58 shots from the floor (50 percent), including a 10-of-24 effort (41.7 percent) from three-point land.

USC Aiken raced out to a 43-27 halftime advantage and never looked back.

Larsen scored the first two points of the game and Zimmerman drilled a three-point shot for a 5-0 edge just 58 seconds into the contest .Shane Porchea connected on a free throw and a lay-up for an 8-0 edge at the 17:12 mark.

Leading 11-5 after a three-point shot by the Braves with 15:49 on the clock, Larsen's two free throws pushed the margin to 13-5 with 15:19 to go. That sparked a huge run by head coach Vince Alexander's team.

Zimmerman made a nifty lay-up at the 14:09 mark and Wright followed it up with a runner in the lane for a 17-5 advantage. Brown scored from down low before Zimmerman made another three-point shot. Rick Alderman's easy bucket completed the 13-0 run that spanned just 4:28.

Zimmerman's last field goal of the half pushed the margin to 18 at 43-25 with 1:27 to play before intermission. In the second half, his three-point shot gave the Pacers a 20-point lead at 62-42 with 9:39 to go in the game.

The Braves tried to whittle away USC Aiken's lead in the waning moments, but the squad continued to make shot after shot, keeping UNC Pembroke at bay en route to the 17-point victory.

The Pacers return to action Monday when they host Francis Marion. The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start. USC Aiken is partnering with Toys For Tots at the game. Fans that bring an unwrapped gift will receive $2 off the price of admission.