GREENWOOD - The No. 10 ranked Lander Lady Bearcats completed a perfect home record for the 2009-2010 regular season, breaking out of a halftime tie to defeat Peach Belt Conference rival USC Aiken 74-52 Wednesday night at Horne Arena.
Behind Shannon McKever's 12th double-double of the season, (20 points and 13 rebounds) Lander improved to 11-0 at home.
The Lady Bearcats improved to 23-2 overall and 16-1 in the Peach Belt, with a chance to clinch the PBC regular season title Saturday at Augusta State. The Pacers fell to 15-12 overall and 10-8 in the PBC.
Lander outscored Aiken 45-23 in the second half, including 23-7 over the last seven minutes when it hit six 3-pointers including three by Jasmine Judge, two by Mukia Myrick, and one by Katie Hupp. The Lady Bearcats shot 59 percent from the floor in the second half, making 17 of 29 attempts, and nailed seven of nine from 3-point range (78 percent) in the second half after going 0-for-6 in the first half.
In addition to McKever's 20 points, Ciara Lyons and Myrick added 10 points apiece. Brittni Johnson led Lander with eight assists while Myrick added seven. McKever also blocked five shots.
Kendra Chandler and Catherine Cain led Aiken with 14 points apiece, Lindsay Sundberg scored 10 points, and Triahna Harris added seven assists.
After the game was tied at 2, 4, 6 and 8, USC Aiken went on an 11-4 run capped by Sundberg's 3-pointer and Daniela Tarailo's lay-up for a 19-12 lead with 10:10 left. But the Lady Pacers cooled off and Lander battled back, pulling within 23-21 on Myrick's steal and lay-up with 5:20 to go.
Sundberg hit another 3-pointer to push Aiken's lead back to 26-21 with 4:33 left. Myrick and Tasheba Butler scored consecutive baskets to pull Lander within 26-25. And after Chandler hit a free throw for the Pacers, Johnson hit a jumper with three minutes left to tie the game at 27.
The Lady Bearcats took their first lead since early in the game when Butler made a lay-up off Myrick's in-bounds pass, making it 29-27 with 25 seconds until halftime. Tarailo's steal helped Aiken tie the game at the halftime buzzer on Cain's short jumper in the paint.
Lander took control of the game early in the second half. After Deandra Schirmer's basket put the Pacers on top, 31-29, in the opening minute of the second half, the Lady Bearcats went on a 13-2 run, including a Nardia Robbins 3-pointer and two baskets by Butler for a 42-33 lead.
McKever scored to give Lander its biggest lead of the game so far, 48-37, at the 12:49 mark. But Aiken stormed back, pulling within six twice at 49-43 and 51-45 on Chandler's jumper with 7:44 to go. But Judge hit a long 3-pointer near the top of the key and Myrick also hit a 3, building Lander's lead back up to 57-45 at the 6:35 mark.
After Brittany Bowen hit a pair of free throws for the Pacers, McKever scored inside and Judge hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Lander some breathing room at 63-47 with 3:45 to go.
Judge and Myrick each added 3-pointers in the final minutes, increasing the Lady Bearcat lead to 71-50 with less than two minutes to go. Hupp added a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Lander made 31 of 59 shots from the floor (53 percent), five of eight free throws (63 percent), and seven of 15 from behind the arc (47 percent).
Aiken hit 22 of 61 shots (36 percent), six of eight free throws (75 percent), and two of 13 from behind the arc (15 percent).
The Lady Bearcats had a 37-32 edge on the boards. The Pacers had 20 turnovers while Lander had 19.
