MORROW, Ga. – The No. 8 University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team picked up a 99-76 victory at Clayton State Monday evening in a PBC contest.

The Pacers are now 10-0 on the season, including a 4-0 ledger in league play. The Lakers are now 3-5 overall and 0-2 against conference competition.

USC Aiken's 10-0 start is the best in the program's Division II history.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Faison Brock's game-best 23 points. He also added nine rebounds and four assists.

Ty'lik Evans posted 19 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. He added a game-best seven assists and four steals in 33 minutes of work. Xzavier Barmore contributed 18 points, six boards and three assists.

Kyle Tackeberry totaled eight points while Darius Bell and Myles Washington added seven and six, respectively. Doniel Dean had five points in 12 minutes of action. Robert Hill and Shaquan Jules hit for four points each while Eric Kinloch and Ryan Missildine added three points and two points, respectively.

USC Aiken opened the game on a 13-3 run. Brock started the scoring on an inside shot and found Barmore for a three-ball just 58 seconds into the game for a 5-0 edge. Leading 5-3, Brock found Dean for a bucket. Brock and Hill rattled the rim on back-to-back dunks before Brock finished the spurt with a lay-up at the 12:18 mark. 

Leading 25-19, Vanderslice's squad embarked on a 20-6 run to end the half. Evans got things going with a three-ball. Brock registered a basket before finding Barmore for a three-point bucket with 4:26 to play.

USC Aiken maintained a 38-23 margin before Barmore nailed a three-point shot with 45 seconds remaining. Jules found Barmore for two points. After a basket by the Lakers, Bell hit a three-ball from the wing as time expired, giving the visitors a 46-25 lead at the break.

Clayton State sliced the deficit to 13 just 1:04 into the second half, but the Pacers quickly countered with five consecutive points. Leading 51-35, Evans hit a lay-up and found Dean for a three ball, extending the margin to 21 with 15:26 to go.

USC Aiken maintained a 64-48 advantage before Evans found the bottom of the net from downtown. He was fouled on the play and calmly buried the free throw for the rare four-point play. Evans found Brock and Barmore for back-to-back three-point shots and a 74-48 lead.

With 6:56 to play, Evans found Tackeberry for the team's biggest lead of the game at 86-51.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 32-of-79 (40.5 percent) from the floor and buried 13 shots from downtown. The squad also connected on 22-of-24 free throws (91.7 percent). Vanderslice's team tallied 12 steals, had 21 points off turnovers and outscored the home team 36-26 in the paint.

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they play at Georgia College at 5:30 p.m.