AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team used a strong second-half run to post an 82-73 victory over Chowan Saturday afternoon in a non-conference contest.

The Pacers improve to 5-1 on the year while the Hawks fall to 4-2.

Jalin Barnes led head coach Mark Vanderslice's team with a game-high 25 points on nine-of-13 shooting from the floor. He drained four-of-eight from downtown and hit three-of-five from the charity stripe.

Mark Matthews and Christian Nobles accounted for 14 points apiece. Matthews pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds for a double-double with Nobles distributed five assists.

Henry Bolton III dished out a game-high six assists while Robert Hill swatted four shots in 17 minutes of work.

The entire first half was a back-and-forth affair until Nobles got hot. He hit a pair of free throws to tie the score at 33 with 2:41 to play in the first period. Another pair of free throws by Nobles made it 35-33 at the 2:18 mark. Leading 37-35, Nobles converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 26 seconds to go. However, Nobles drained a three-quarter court shot with one second left on the clock for a 43-35 halftime advantage.

USC Aiken used the shot as momentum in the second period. Matthews hit a lay-up to make it 48-40. Raheem Freeman drilled a three-ball and Barnes stopped on a dime from downtown and netted a three-pointer for a 54-40 lead at the 17:06 mark.

With the score 54-52, Nobles hit a shot before Matthews took a pass from Barnes and nailed another shot from deep. Nobles and Barnes hit for back-to-back shots for a 21-point lead with 14:42 to go.

Although Chowan sliced into the lead, the Pacers were never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 29-of-64 from the floor (45.3 percent). The team made 11 three-point shots and buried 13-of-16 from the charity stripe (81.3 percent).

Vanderslice's team held a 36-30 advantage on the glass. The team forced 19 turnovers and converted the miscues into 23 points. USC Aiken also held a 32-22 edge in the paint.

The Pacers return to action Dec. 13 when they host Southern Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m.