AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team registered a 73-67 victory over Lander Saturday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers improve to 6-15 overall and 4-10 against conference competition while the Bearcats fall to 16-7 on the year and 10-4 against league foes.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was paced by Keith Belfield's team-high 20 points. For good measure, he dished out four assists in the game. Belfield connected on five-of-seven from downtown in the win.

Tavares Sledge garnered another double-double performance with 14 points and a game-best 15 rebounds while tallying four assists. Arbry Butler netted 13 points, grabbed seven boards, totaled four assists and shared game-high honors with four blocks.

Kyle Buffkin narrowly missed double digits by contributing nine points while sharing game-best accolades with four blocks. Hendrix Emu came off the bench to account for nine points and two assists in 20 minutes of work.

Lander jumped out to a 20-14 lead and looked to take a large advantage, but Buffkin netted back-to-back jumpers off passes from Sledge and Butler, pulling the team within two with 6:20 to play in the half. Buffkin knotted the score at 21-21 and Sledge's three-pointer pushed the Pacers in front, 24-21.

Sledge buried another three-pointer after the Bearcats collapsed in the paint to defend Butler, who was credited with an assist. Jevon Patton's lay-up extended the margin to eight, 29-21, with 1:59 to go in the half.

After a squabble on the court in the final minute, the teams exchanged free throws, but the Pacers maintained a 31-27 lead at the break.

Vanderslice's squad came out clicking on all cylinders in the final period as Butler threw down a thunderous dunk for the first two points of the stanza. Patton found Belfield for a three-pointer, making it 36-27 with 18:23 to play. A basket by the Bearcats pulled the visitors within seven, but Belfield and Emu made back-to-back lay-ups for an 11-point margin.

Lander hit a jumper at the 14:59 mark, but USC Aiken countered when Sledge found Belfield for another three-pointer with 14:46 to play. Butler's acrobatic lay-up extended the lead to 14 with 14:10 to go.

Foul trouble plagued the Pacers over the next few minutes and the Bearcats managed to pull within four with 7:36 to go. However, Patton hit a free throw and Emu made a lay-up, making it 56-49 at the 6:38 mark. On the ensuing possession, Patton raced downcourt and lobbed the ball toward the rim and Butler caught it and slammed home the pass for easy two points.

From that point forward, Pacers made sure to control the game. The squad led by 11 with 51 seconds to play, but the Bearcats managed to pull within five in the closing seconds. However, a free throw by Emu and a defensive rebound by Glen Campbell solidified the victory for the home team. 

For the game, USC Aiken canned 26-of-49 from the floor (53.1 percent), including eight-of-18 from the three-point stripe (44.4 percent). The squad out-rebounded the Bearcats 38-36 and held a 10-point edge in the paint. USC Aiken's bench outscored the visitors' bench 18-10.

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they host Clayton State at 5:30 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.