GREENWOOD – Daniela Tarailo and Mackenzie Reese hit a combined eight 3-pointers as fifth-ranked USC Aiken pulled away from the Lander Lady Bearcats 60-45 in a Peach Belt Conference game Wednesday night at Horne Arena.

The PBC East Division leading Pacers improved to 18-2 overall and 11-2 in the league. Lander fell to 7-12, 4-8.

Tarailo posted a double-double with 22 points including five 3s while adding 12 rebounds, 10 on the defensive end. Reese had three 3-pointers, all in the first half, and finished with 10 points. Brittany Hill added 10 points and six assists.

Briana Wade led the Lady Bearcats with 12 points, Ashleigh Zandi scored nine points, and Lea Saunders led Lander with eight rebounds and five assists.

The Lady Bearcats made only 17 of 62 shots from the floor (27 percent), six of 12 free throws (50 percent) and five of 20 from 3-point range (25 percent).

Aiken hit 22 of 51 shots (43 percent), seven of 10 free throws (70 percent) and nine of 16 from behind the arc (56 percent).

The Pacers out-rebounded Lander 43-35. Aiken had 18 turnovers to 13 for the Lady Bearcats.

Lander took a 5-2 lead on Aarika Judge's 3 with 15:08 left. But Aiken went on a 13-2 run including a pair of 3s by Reese and one by Tarailo to build a 15-7 lead at the 12-minute mark. Reese's third 3 of the half made it 20-9 inside nine minutes to go.

The Lady Bearcats got within seven, 22-15, with 6:24 to go after baskets by McKale Hardy, Zandi and Judge. But Tarailo made a 3 and another basket to build Aiken's lead back to 27-15 at the 4:48 mark.

Saunders scored inside and Zandi knocked down a trey to close Lander back within seven again at 27-20 with 2:46 left. No one else scored the rest of the half and the Pacers had a 27-20 lead at the break.

Aiken outscored the Lady Bearcats 13-1 over the first eight minutes of the second half to build a comfortable 40-21 lead. Hill had a basket and four free throws, and Tarailo had another 3 during the Pacers outburst.

Judge scored Lander's first field goal of the second half at the 11:17 mark and Zandi made a 3 to pull the hosts within 40-27 with 10:47 left.

Hardy's steal and layup closed the Lady Bearcats back within 13 again, 42-29, with 9:23 left. But over the next three minutes, Aiken scored nine unanswered points to build its largest lead of the game at 51-29. Tarailo had a 3-pointer and an inside basket during the run.

Lander put together a quick flurry of seven points in 24 seconds, closing within 51-36 inside the five-minute mark. Wade made a free throw and Zandi grabbed the offensive rebound on the missed second free throw, Zandi hit the first of two free throws then Saunders got the board and made a 3, then Wade got a steal and layup to complete the spurt.

After Tarailo's basket increased Aiken's lead back to 17, Wade converted a three-point play to pull the Lady Bearcats within 53-39 just inside the three-minute mark.

Tarailo's fifth 3 and Michelle Turner's trey off the bench extended the Pacers advantage to 60-39 with 1:10 to go. Wade scored Lander's final six points on a 3-pointer and a three-point play.