Pacers Race Past Bearcats On Senior Day

AIKEN, S.C. – Kwajelin Farrar and Melyk Taouil each posted double-doubles as the University of South Carolina Aiken defeated Lander 75-55 Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers conclude the regular season with a 15-13 ledger, including a 10-10 mark in league play.

Chesney Gardner poured in a career-high 22 points to lead all scorers. Rikoya Anderson accounted for 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Farrar and Taouil each netted 11 points in the victory. Taouil distributed a career-best 10 assists while Farrar snagged a school-record 21 rebounds.

For the game, head coach Mark Miller's team canned 27-of-61 from the floor (44.3 percent), including seven-of-18 from downtown. The Pacers pulled down 55 rebounds compared to 36 by the visitors.

Leading 20-18 after the first quarter, USC Aiken outscored the visitors 17-4 over the next 10 minutes of action. It marked the third-fewest points ever allowed in a quarter by the Pacers.

USC Aiken trailed 14-7 in the early going, but a three-point bucket from Anderson gave a spark to the home team. Down 18-12, Kanna Suzuki found Farrar for a basket. Anderson netted back-to-back three-point shots for a 20-18 edge heading into the second quarter.

The Pacers continued to add to the lead in the second stanza. Taouil found Suzuki for a jumper on the break at the 4:50 mark. Twenty-eight seconds later, Taouil found the bottom of the net for a 34-19 advantage. Farrar's field goal with 1:30 to go made it 36-20 and the home team held a 37-22 lead going into the third quarter.

Farrar found Anderson for a lay-up at the 6:44 mark, pushing the lead to 19 at 45-26. Although the Bearcats pulled within 13, Madison Williams nailed a three-point shot with 1:11 to play in the frame for a 56-36 margin.

Lander cut the deficit to 14 with 6:27 to play, but Taouil and Gardner calmly made four free throws for a 65-47 advantage with 6:01 to go. With outstanding defense and an offense clicking on all cylinders, the Pacers did not let the visitors back in the game. Gardner's jumper with 59 seconds remaining put the exclamation mark on the contest for the Pacers.

It marked the last home game for Farrar and Taouil.