AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team hit 16 three-point shots in the 99-66 victory over Francis Marion Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers are now 8-1 on the season.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Tyler Johnson's game-high 21 points. Demitrios Dixon came off the bench to net 15 points and dish out a game-best seven assists. Tehree Horn added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Jalen McCoy netted 10 points.

Devin Evans and Jameel Rideout each hit for eight markers while Rhyjon Blackwell and Dwight Canady, Jr., tallied seven points apiece. Simeon German and Jammy Pierre-Louis totaled six and five points, respectively.

Chedlet Delva shared game-best honors with seven rebounds in nine minutes of work.

The Pacers started out strong as Rideout, Evans and McCoy all hit buckets. Leading 6-2, Horn converted an Evans steal into a basket. Johnson buried back-to-back three-point shots for a 14-2 advantage. The lead climbed to 15 when Rideout found Johnson for another shot from behind the arc for a 22-7 margin.

Up 25-18, German took a pass from Dixon and converted the lay-up. McCoy's jumper pushed the lead back to double digits, 29-18, with 10:18 to play in the half. Vanderslice's team extended the margin to 17 when Rideout stole a pass and found Dixon for the bucket with 5:41 to play in the half. However, the Patriots made it a nine-point game at the break.

Up 47-40, Horn found Rideout for a three-ball. Leading 53-46, Blackwell connected with Dixon for a three-point bucket. Dixon then snagged a defensive board and went the other way for the lay-up. German hit two free throws, Evans nailed a three-ball and Blackwell canned a jumper for a 67-46 score. Dixon and Canady, Jr., each made baskets to push the lead to 25 with 11:38 to play.

Up 83-57, McCoy hit a jumper prior to Horn stealing the ball at midcourt before going the rest of the way for a lay-up at the 4:26 mark. The Pacers' largest lead came after Melvin Archie snagged a rebound and found Pierre-Louis for a fast-break three-point basket from 25 feet out for a 99-64 advantage. 

For the game, USC Aiken buried 37-of-78 from the floor (47.4 percent), including 16-of-41 from downtown (39.0 percent). The 16 three-point shots made are the third most in school history while the 41 attempts established a new school mark. Vanderslice's team held a 45-40 edge on the glass. USC Aiken distributed 23 assists, garnered 10 steals and German swatted four of the team's five blocks in the win. 

The Pacers return to action Saturday, Dec. 30 when they host Southern Wesleyan at 3:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.