GREENWOOD - Casey McMasters hit four 3-pointers in the second half, leading USC Aiken to a 72-66 Peach Belt Conference victory over the Lander Bearcats Wednesday night and spoiling Lander Senior Night at Horne Arena.

Losing its final home game of the season, Lander to 11-15 overall and 5-12 in the Peach Belt. The Bearcats close the regular season Saturday at Augusta State.

The Pacers improved to 16-9, 11-7.

It was the last home game for Lander seniors Dane Sparrow, Brenton Harris, Darius Johnson, Curtis Milner, Antonio Pope, Greg Smalls and Roy Hinson III.

McMasters and Byron Faison led Aiken with 14 points apiece while Kevin Willis added 11 points and nine rebounds. Sterling Council added 10 points and five assists for the Pacers. Aiken hit 10 of 19 shots from 3-point range, including seven of nine in the second half.

Johnson led the Bearcats with 14 points on seven of 11 shooting from the floor, Sparrow had 12 points and six assists, while Smalls and Da'Shon Barrino added 10 points apiece.

Aiken built a 6-2 lead on Willis's three-point play and Re'mon Nelson's 3-pointer. Scoreless until the 16:33 mark, the Bearcats took their first lead of the game at 8-6 on Johnson's jumper with 14:21 left. Lander took leads of 10-8 and 13-11 on a basket by Harris and 3-pointer by Smalls, respectively, before the Pacers scored six unanswered points to re-take the lead.

Lander's Harris made two free throws to tie the game at 19 with 6:20 to go. After Faison dunked an alley-oop pass from Council to put the Pacers back on top, 21-19, Barrino hit a 3-pointer to give the Bearcats a 22-21 advantage. Barrino hit another 3 to snap a 24-all tie, putting Lander up 27-24 at the 4:06 mark.

Smalls hit three free throws and Harris one to build the Bearcat lead to 31-24. Seth Leonard's 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer pulled Aiken within 31-27 at halftime.

The Bearcats opened the second half with a basket for a 33-27 lead. But Council was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer, made three free throws and tied the game at 35 with 15:54 to go. The lead would change hands several times with Smalls hitting a jumper to give Lander a 40-39 lead, and Faison nailing a 3-pointer to put the Pacers on top 42-40.

McMasters hit a long 3-pointer to push Aiken's lead to 45-40 at the 12-minute mark, and the Pacers would add a free throw to go up by six. Lander closed within two, 48-46, on a Barrino free throw, but McMasters hit another 3-pointer and Willis made two free throws to push Aiken's advantage to 53-46 with 8:52 to go.

McMasters hit another 3 to increase the Pacer lead into double figures, 56-46, with 7:30 left. After Lander tried to rally with a Sparrow three-point play and a free throw to pull within 58-50, Brandon Shephard hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws to give the Pacers their largest lead of the game at 63-50.

Faison's dunk off a long pass from Willis gave Aiken a 67-54 lead with 2:50 left. Lander outscored the Pacers 10-2 over the last two minutes, but it was too little, too late.

For the game, Lander hit 21 of 52 shots from the floor (40 percent), 20 of 30 free throws (67 percent), and four of 15 from 3-point range (27 percent). Aiken made 23 of 46 shots (50 percent), 16 of 23 free throws (70 percent), and 10 of 19 from behind the arc (53 percent).

Aiken had a 33-29 edge on the boards and committed 18 turnovers to Lander's 11.