AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team posted a 69-55 victory over Lander Wednesday evening in a league contest.

The Pacers are now 7-5 overall and 6-4 in league play. The Bearcats fall to 5-6 on the year and 3-4 against PBC foes.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Gus Rowland's game-high 17 points. He added five steals and five boards in his solid effort. Anyeuri Castillo totaled 10 points and eight boards.

Donaven Hairston and Jalen McCoy notched nine points each while Darius Bell tallied eight. Latreavin Black accounted for seven points and 11 rebounds in the win.

In a tightly contested first half, Castillo's three-point shot pulled USC Aiken within one at 12-11. Jakobi Pearson's lay-up gave the Pacers a one-point edge. Trailing 21-17, Darius Bell took a pass from Rowland and drained an inside shot. Moments later, Rowland's steal and lay-up knotted the game at 21-21. A Bell jumper gave the home squad a 23-21 advantage.

Down 27-26, Rowland drained a three-point shot with 5:11 to play, giving the Pacers a two-point lead. Lander gained a two-point margin itself at 33-31, but Tehree Horn canned a jumper with 1:57 to play. A McCoy steal and lay-up in the waning seconds gave the Pacers a 35-33 advantage at halftime.

A 10-4 run to start the second half gave the Pacers a 45-37 lead they would not relinquish. When Pearson found Castillo for a three-point shot, it gave the home team a 10-point advantage. Hairston's jumper in the lane with 7:52 to go extended the margin to 13, 55-42.

After Lander pulled within seven at 59-52, McCoy drilled a shot in the lane off a pass from Rowland. On the ensuing possessions, Rowland hit four straight free throws to push the lead to 13, 65-52 en route to the win.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 27-of-61 from the floor (44.3 percent). The squad held a 45-37 edge on the glass. The Pacers recorded 11 steals and five blocks in the victory.

USC Aiken is set to play at Augusta next Wednesday. Continue checking back with PacerSports.com for all the latest updates and schedule changes.