AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team notched an 81-68 victory over visiting North Georgia Wednesday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are 12-14 on the season and improve to 7-10 against league foes. The Nighthawks are 15-9 overall and fall to 9-8 in league play.

Dominic Early led everyone with a game-high 20 points. He added 10 rebounds for a double-double. André Anthony accounted for 17 points and five rebounds while Jordan Foster totaled 13 points and seven boards. Arbry Butler posted 11 points, eight blocks and five rebounds in 25 minutes of work.

For the game, head coach Vince Alexander's team buried 47.5 percent of its shots from the floor (29-of-61), including an eight-of-15 effort from downtown (53.3 percent). The squad also connected on 15-of-19 shots from the charity stripe (78.9 percent).

USC Aiken managed to convert 18 turnovers into 24 points and the home team held a 13-10 margin in second-chance points. The Pacers also controlled the paint, outscoring the visitors 42-32. Alexander's team maintained a lead for virtually the entire game, only trailing by one point in the contest while leading by as many as 16.

USC Aiken jumped out to a 10-0 lead just 3:14 into the game. Butler started things off with a lay-up. Early canned a jumper before Anthony hit back-to-back three-pointers. However, the Nighthawks battled back, taking a 15-14 edge at the 11:13 mark.

The deficit was short-lived by the Pacers as Hendrix Emu sliced through the defense for a lay-up. Caleb Stewart nailed a jumper for an 18-15 advantage at the 10:10 mark.

USC Aiken led 24-22 before Forster and Early each hit a free throw. Early then made an inside shot before Anthony unleashed another three-pointer. Butler's lay-up made it 33-22. Anthony answered a three-pointer by the visitors with one of his own for a 36-25 lead.

Leading by only six at the break, USC Aiken saw its advantage dwindle to a mere point at the 15:37 mark. With 14:12 to play, North Georgia had knotted the contest at 42. However, a steal by Early and an old-fashioned three-point play gave the Pacers a lead they would not relinquish.

Early added another lay-up with 12:48 to play for a 47-42 lead. The visitors pulled within three, but Alexander's squad quickly widened the margin.

With the score at 54-50, Albert Miller III took a pass from Emu for a lay-up. Rashad Lewis hit an inside shot and Butler made a pair of free throws for a 10-point margin.

Leading by 10, 62-52, Foster hit consecutive three-point baskets and a lay-up by Early made it a 16-point game with 3:37 on the clock.

Although the Nighthawks pulled within 10 with 1:26 to play, Foster and Lewis combined to make seven free throws down the stretch, securing the win. 

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they travel to Francis Marion for a 3:30 p.m., contest.