AIKEN, S.C.--Behind a 16-1 run to open the second half, the USC Aiken Lady Pacers (11-16, 7-13) turned in a 70-54 win over the visiting Lander Lady Bearcats (5-22, 1-19 PBC) on “Homecoming” at “The Courthouse” on Saturday night. It marked the largest margin of victory this year for the young USCA squad, getting 18 points from freshman Meredith Legg. The Lady Pacers finish in a tie with Augusta State for eighth in the final PBC standings.
USC Aiken, having won 10 of the last 13 meetings with Lander, close out the regular season on a three-game home winning streak.
With just seven players seeing action, a shorthanded Lander team used a slow pace of play early in the first half as neither team could build a significant advantage with eight lead changes occurring through the opening 13 minutes.
Bryony Crouch's three-pointer with 7:20 to play knotted the game up at 18-18. USC Aiken then went on its biggest run of the first half, scoring 12 of the game's next 16 points to pull ahead 30-22 on a three-point play by Jordon Thomas with 38.6 seconds left until halftime. Lashaundra Dubose hit a jumper in the paint with four seconds left to set the halftime score at 30-24. It was the only field for Lander over the final 7:20 of the first half.
Dubose finished with six points and four assists in 34 minutes. As a team, Lander shot 36.4 percent in the opening stanza. Thomas scored five of the team's 21 bench points.
The Lady Pacers opened the second half on fire, draining five of their first six shots including three-pointers by Mindy Allee and Legg to fuel the decisive 16-1 run, taking their largest lead of the game 46-25 on Avonte Williams' offensive putback with 13:46 left.
Legg connected on 6-of-15 shots from the three-point line, both career-highs, for a game-best 18 points to go with two assists and two steals. Allee added five points and was impressive running the Lady Pacers offensive attack dishing out eight assists with no turnovers, joining former greats Jami Cornwell and Tisha England as the only Lady Pacers to dish out over 300 career assists.
Williams continued her all-around superb play grabbing 11 boards to go with nine points, five steals, and three assists.
Jennifer Hukill came alive in the second half for the Lady Bearcats, knocking down a trey with 12:58 to play, halting the 16-1 run with Lander's first field goal of the second half. Hukill scored all 16 of her points in the final stanza on 4-of-5 from deep. As a team, Lander shot just 37.8 percent for the game, but was 8-of-17 from downtown for 47.1 percent.
Hukill's final triple of the night sliced the lead to 64-51, Lander's smallest deficit since the opening moments of the half, but the Lady Pacers closed out the 70-54 win.
Tara Nyikavaranda added 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds for the game's only double double.
Kendra Chandler nearly had her second-straight double double with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with eight rebounds. As a team, USC Aiken dominated the glass in the second half 25-9, finishing with a 40-29 edge for the game.
Led by Williams' five steals and a career-best four by Nichole Bennett, the Lady Pacers swiped a season-high 15 steals on the night.
The Lady Pacers finished 27-of-64 from the field for 42.2 percent including 8-of-23 from downtown for 34.8 percent.
