AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team netted 14 three-point shots en route to an 84-41 victory over the visiting UNC Pembroke Braves in a Peach Belt Conference contest Wednesday evening.

The Pacers improve to 6-8 overall, including a 1-4 mark against league foes. The Braves fall to 5-7 on the year and 0-5 against conference competition.

USC Aiken was guided by a quartet of student-athletes in double figures for scoring. Stephanie Ball led the way with a game-high 15 points. Rachelle Aupont and Alexis Ware each went for 13 points while Kate Duff netted 10 markers in the victory.

Aupont led everyone with eight rebounds while Jasmine Coach continued her stellar play with nine points and seven rebounds. Mariah Durian contributed eight points and a game-best five assists. Kassy Johannsen continued adding to her career blocked shots record with two more in just 10 minutes of action due to foul trouble.

After a slow start to the contest, head coach Mike Brandt's team got things going, tying the contest at 2-2 on a jumper by Ball at the 6:27 mark. Johannsen gave the squad a 4-2 lead, but the Braves tied it with 5:22 to play. After that, however, the Pacers took control, embarking on an 8-0 spurt.

During the run, Aupont buried a deep three-point basket off a pass from Ware. Ball added a runner in the paint prior to Ware canning a shot from downtown on a fast-break for the eight-point edge. A jumper by the visitors pulled the team within six at 12-6. Durian drained a deep two-point basket on a break off a pass from Ball with 3:22 to go. Ball hit a shot from behind the arc at the 2:33 mark, extending the lead to 17-6. USC Aiken finished the stanza with a 19-10 margin.

In the second frame, Aupont started the scoring with a lay-up as Aubrey Lukackso found her on a give-and-go. UNC Pembroke pulled within five at the 8:06 mark, but Coach rattled off back-to-back shots for a 25-16 score. 

Leading 27-19, Durian stepped behind the three-point stripe for a shot. Coach followed her up with five straight points, pushing the score to 35-19 at the 2:45 mark. USC Aiken closed out the half with a baseline jumper from Ware for a 37-22 lead at the break.

The Pacers broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 30-8. With the score 42-26, Duff rattled off the rare four-point play after being fouled while canning a corner three-point basket. Durian hit a jumper before Duff made back-to-back three-point baskets for a 54-26 lead. Ball's jumper made it a 30-point margin. USC Aiken finished the quarter with back-to-back three-point shots from Ware and Ball for a 67-30 edge going into the fourth.

In the final stanza, the highlight came as Sade Johnson netted her first two points of her career. Every student-athlete got into the game and each contributed in the 43-point win. 

For the game, USC Aiken netted 52.3 percent of its shots from the floor (34-of-65), including a 14-of-29 effort from downtown (48.3 percent). The 14 three-point buckets were the second-most hit in school history.

The Pacers out-rebounded the visitors 42-28, including a 12-6 edge on the offensive glass. Brandt's team dished out 25 assists on the 34 buckets. The squad held a 27-6 margin on points off turnovers and a 10-0 advantage in second-chance points. USC Aiken held a 44-18 edge on bench points.

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host Flagler at 1:30 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.