PEMBROKE, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team used a pair of double-double performances by Arbry Butler and Tavares Sledge en route to the 85-76 road win at UNC Pembroke Wednesday in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 5-15 overall and 3-10 against conference competition. The Braves fall to 11-11 on the year and 5-8 against league foes.

Sledge led head coach Mark Vanderslice's team with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He also dished out a team-high six assists. Butler notched 16 points and shared game-high honors with Sledge by grabbing 10 boards. He also swatted three shots and had three assists in the win.

Jevon Patton poured in 19 points while Keith Belfield chipped in 13 markers. Hendrix Emu totaled seven points. Kyle Buffkin tallied six points off the bench while Gavin Stephenson accounted for a bucket.

Trailing 29-23, USC Aiken called a time-out with 7:55 to play in the opening stanza. After a foul was called on the Braves, Belfield calmly went to the line and connected on a pair of shots. A steal by Belfield turned into another trip to the charity stripe for the redshirt-senior and he netted both attempts at the 5:27 mark, pulling the Pacers within two at 29-27.

UNCP was able to extend its advantage to 35-29, but Belfield answered with a three-ball off a pass from Sledge with 4:03 to play. Stephenson's lay-up pulled the team within one and Sledge put Vanderslice's squad up 36-35. However, the Braves countered with a three-pointer of their own before Sledge answered with a jumper from downtown for a one-point edge. Patton's lay-up with 1:30 to play in the half pushed the Pacers' lead to three, 41-38.

USC Aiken held its slim lead for the first seven minutes of the second stanza, but a three-pointer by Brandon Watts gave the home squad a lead. The Braves took a 59-55 margin before Butler slammed home a pass from Patton at the 11:05 mark.

The Braves would hold an advantage until Patton's three-pointer at the 5:14 mark, which gave the visitors a 69-67 advantage.

Sledge pushed the margin to three at 73-70 on a lay-up off a pass from Belfield at the 3:41 mark. After a block by Sledge, Patton drained a deep three-pointer for a six-point edge.

The Braves pulled within four with 1:05 to play, but Belfield's up-and-under lay-up solidified the win, giving the Pacers an 81-75 margin with 55 seconds to play. Sledge added a thunderous dunk and Emu capped the scoring with a pair of free throws with nine ticks on the clock.   

For the game, USC Aiken canned 31-of-64 shots from the floor (48.4 percent), including a nine-of-29 effort from downtown (31 percent). Vanderslice's team out-rebounded the home squad 40-34 and dished out 17 assists compared to 14 by the Braves.

USC Aiken held advantages with 13 second-chance points compared to eight by UNCP, but the biggest difference on the night came in the paint as Vanderlisce's squad controlled the area, 42-22.

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host Lander for Homecoming. Game-time is set for 7:30 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.