GREENWOOD – The Lander men's basketball team got a combined 37 points from Sidney Robinson and Deon Berrien as the Bearcats pulled into a first-place tie in the Peach Belt Conference with an 88-83 victory over USC Aiken Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.

Lander improved to 14-4 overall and 8-2 in the PBC with its fourth consecutive victory. The Pacers fell to 12-8, 8-2.

UNC Pembroke beat Georgia Southwestern Saturday and is also 8-2 in the conference.

The Bearcats ended a five-game losing streak to USC Aiken, having last beaten the Pacers Jan. 25, 2017.

"I thought we showed toughness," said head coach Drew Richards. "I was proud of our ability to get back into the game and start doing the things that made us successful. I was very proud of our toughness down the stretch."

Robinson led Lander with 19 points and four assists. Berrien added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Elijah Alston added 13 points including a big breakaway dunk in the final minute and paced the Bearcats with four steals.

Tyler Brevard added 10 points for Lander while DaJuan Moorer scored seven points while being the game's top rebounder with 15.

Gus Rowland shared game-high scoring honors, hitting three 3s in the final minute including a meaningless trey from beyond half-court at the buzzer, finishing with 20 points while leading USC Aiken with five assists.

Xzavier Barmore also scored 20 points for the Pacers while the PBC's leading scorer Faison Brock matched his season average with 19.

Shaquan Jules added 10 points for USC Aiken while Robert Hill also scored 10 points while leading the Pacers with nine rebounds.

Berrien's baseline jumper gave the Bearcats a 13-5 advantage with 14:14 left in the opening half.

Robinson's driving scoop layup pushed Lander's lead to 28-15 with 4:43 to go and his long 3-pointer made it 31-18 at the four-minute mark.

Zane Rankin's 3 in front of the visitor bench at the two-minute mark and Berrien's layup with 1:18 left increased the Bearcat lead to 40-22.

Lander led 42-27 at halftime.

The Pacers scored the first eight points of the second half and were on a 20-6 run when Barmore's 3 pulled them within 48-47 with 15:18 to go.

USC Aiken took its first lead of the game at 52-50 with 13:41 left on Barmore's two free throws.

Brevard's layup put Lander back on top, 56-55, at the 10-minute mark.

The game was tied at 57, 59 and 61 before the Bearcats took a 65-61 lead inside seven minutes left on Berrien's turnaround jumper in the lane and Alston's back-court steal and basket.

Rankin's 3 from the right corner increased Lander's lead to 69-63 with 4:50 left.

Robinson followed with a pair of big 3s. He made one from the right corner that bounced off the glass, off the front of the rim and fell in. He added another from the left side for a 75-70 advantage with 2:33 to go.

Berrien's 3 from the top of the key made it 78-70 with 2:21 left.

Brevard put back a teammate's missed free throw to make it 80-72 with 55 seconds to go.

Rowland's 3 cut Aiken's deficit to 82-77, but Alston's dunk off a long inbounds bounce pass pushed Lander's lead back to seven. Rowland hit another 3 but that was as close as it got as Moorer made one free throw and Berrien added three free throws.

Rowland made a 3 from well beyond half-court at the buzzer for the game's final points.

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