AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 11 USCA men's basketball team posted an 86-69 victory over Livingstone Tuesday evening.
The Pacers are now 5-2 on the season while the Blue Bears fall to 6-1.
Head coach
Mark Vanderslice's team was led by
Jalen McCoy's game-high 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the floor.
Caleb Byrd and
Davion Cunningham each added 10 points while
Mason Grant,
Rafael Rubel and
Kaleb Siler notched eight points apiece.
Dwight Canady, Jr., contributed seven points.
McCoy, Siler and
Chedlet Delva grabbed seven rebounds each. Rubel tallied a game-high five steals in the win.
Leading 6-4, Siler connected on a pair of free throws prior to tipping in a rebound for a 10-4 advantage at the 15:59 mark. The Blue Bears held an 11-10 edge before Cunningham converted an old-fashioned three-point play. Tied at 13-13, Siler and Canady, Jr., canned shots.
Livingstone pulled within one at 19-18 only to see Byrd nail a shot from distance. McCoy converted a jumper before Cunningham buried two free throws for a 26-18 margin with 8:04 to go. Holding a 26-20 lead, McCoy nailed a pair of shots in the lane. Rubel's bucket from downtown off a pass from Cunningham propelled the Pacers to a 33-20 lead.
The Blue Bears made it 38-29 with 2:42 to go, but Grant scored on a lay-up. With 46 seconds to play, Grant put back an offensive board for a 42-29 lead at halftime.
A pair of steals by Rubel led to fast break points by Siler and McCoy for a 50-33 lead just 3:48 into the period. Up 52-40,
Rhyjon Blackwell canned a jumper. On the ensuing play, Grant hit a shot for a 16-point margin.
Leading 63-45, Byrd found McCoy for a lay-up. Moments later, McCoy hit two free throws for a 67-45 edge with 9:00 to play.
The advantage stayed above 14 points the rest of the way en route to the 17-point victory.
For the game, USCA hit 33-of-69 from the floor, including five-of-22 from downtown. The squad buried 15-of-18 from the free throw line. Additionally, Vanderslice's team controlled the paint, outscoring the visitors 50-22.
The Pacers return to action Saturday when they play at Lander at 3:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
