AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team overcame a four-point halftime deficit en route to a 72-66 victory over Flagler Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 3-10 on the year and picked up the team's first league victory of the season. The Saints are now 5-9 overall and 1-5 against conference competition.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was paced by senior Keith Belfield's double-double performance. He accounted for a game-high 26 points and a game-best 13 rebounds in the win. The 26 points are the third most for Belfield on the season, who also picked up his first career dunk early in the second half.

Senior Arbry Butler was a rebound shy of a double-double performance after tallying 13 points and nine rebounds. Jordan Foster and Andrew Glover had six points apiece while Jevon Patton contributed five points and a game-best six assists. Patton did not commit a turnover and led the team with a pair of thefts in 30 minutes of work.

The game proved to be a back-and-forth affair for 40 minutes as neither team led by more than eight points. The contest was tied eight times and it featured 11 lead changes.

Trailing 19-14, Kyle Buffkin converted an old-fashioned three-point play. Butler took a pass from Emu for a lay-up, knotting the contest at 19-19 with 6:34 to play in the opening half. After being fouled, Emu drilled both free throws for a two-point edge. The Saints, however, would rattle off nine of the final 12 points of the half for a 28-24 lead at the break.

USC Aiken pulled within two when Belfield took a pass from Patton and slammed home a thunderous two-handed dunk at the 18:04 mark of the final stanza, making it 28-26. However, Flagler extended its lead to 38-30 with 15:56 to play, forcing Vanderslice to call a time-out.

At the 15:32 mark, the Pacers embarked on an 8-0 spurt. Butler started the run with a dunk. Belfield tallied a three-point play the old-fashioned way before canning a deep three-point shot with 14:13 to go, tying the game at 38-38.

Flagler hit a couple of shots and stayed in front of the Pacers, again reaching an eight-point margin at 49-41 at the 10:25 mark.

Butler found Belfield for a shot from downtown, pulling the team within five. After a bucket by the Saints, Butler hit a jumper. Belfield stole the ball and ended up hitting a three-pointer, pulling the team within two at 51-49. Flagler hit another shot, but Belfield answered with another three-ball, pulling the team within one at 53-52.

The Saints made a free throw at the 7:41 mark, but USC Aiken took the lead when Jordan Foster netted a three-pointer off an assist from Belfield.

After Flagler answered with a three-pointer, Belfield drove the lane and hit the twisting lay-up, knotting the contest at 57-57. Foster hit another three-pointer for a 60-57 lead and the Pacers would never trail again.

Nick Grier made a lay-up, but Patton found Glover for a three-pointer and a four-point edge. The shot sparked Vanderslice's team to a 9-2 run that put the contest away.

The Pacers made six free throws in the final 1:29 to ensure the win.

For the game, USC Aiken outscored the opposition 17-8 off turnovers, which proved to be the difference in the contest. Vanderslice's squad hit 22-of-60 shots from the floor (36.7 percent), but buried 10 three-point field goals (37 percent) and went to the charity stripe 25 times, connecting on 18 attempts.

The eight turnovers committed by USC Aiken was the second lowest on the year while the 10 makes from downtown was also the second most of the season.

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they travel to Lander for a 7:30 p.m., game. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.