AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team dropped a 77-58 contest to Lander Wednesday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 9-7 overall, including a 5-2 mark against league foes. The Bearcats improve to 14-2 on the year and remain unbeaten at 7-0 against conference competition.

Mackenzie Reese led the way with a team-best 12 points to go along with 10 rebounds for a double-double in 28 minutes of action. Stephanie Ball contributed 10 points while Emry Tsitourisadded eight markers. Tsitouris controlled the glass, recording a career-high 17 rebounds in the outing.

Head coach Mike Brandt's team fell behind 11-2 in the early going as the squad was unable to connect on a field goal until Kassy Johannsen buried a short jumper with 12:33 to play in the opening stanza.

USC Aiken trimmed the deficit to five on two separate occasions, including once on a three-point shot by Amaura Brandt. The other came with 7:58 to play in the half when Tsitouris canned a pair of charity tosses, making the score 16-11. However, the Bearcats closed the half on a 20-10 spurt en route to a 15-point halftime advantage.

The Bearcats extended the lead to 25 just 4:40 into the contest, but Brandt's team fought back, slowly slicing the deficit. The Pacers made it a 13-point contest when Ball drilled a deep three-point basket on an assist by Kate Duff with 2:17 to play. However, the team could get no closer in the contest.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 18-of-66 from the floor (27.3 percent), including a seven-of-24 effort from downtown (29.2 percent). The team hit 15-of-24 from the charity stripe (62.5 percent). Brandt's team out-rebounded the visitors 51-48, but the Bearcats outscored USC Aiken 36-18 in the paint and held a 33-18 advantage in points off turnovers.

Brandt's squad maintained a 16-12 edge in bench points and garnered a 13-12 advantage in second-chance points.

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host Georgia Southwestern at 5:30 p.m.