Bearcats look for first win of season, travel to Aiken

GREENWOOD – After falling to the Augusta Jaguars 87-72 in a game that saw the Bearcats lead by 15 at halftime, the Blue and Gold are looking for their first win of the season as they travel to Aiken take on the Pacers on December 9.

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First Met: Nov. 22, 1975 (114-83 Lander)

Last Met: Feb. 29, 2020 (65-54 Lander)

Last Five Against Aiken: 2-3

Next Game for Lander: Dec. 12, 2020 @ USC Aiken (3:30 pm)

STORYLINES:

After leading Augusta 43-25 after the first half, the Bearcats couldn't maintain their lead and eventually fell 87-72. Senior Deon Berrien led the Blue and gold with 19 points on 8-of-17 from the field. Berrien and fellow senior LaRaymond Spivery each hauled in a team-high four rebounds. Spivery also led the team with five assists to go along with his seven points.
With the loss to Augusta, Lander snaps its streak of winning the season opener at six in a row. This ties the program high first set between 1978 through 1983.
The Bearcats and Pacers will get to know each other very well this season, as this marks the first of four meetings between the two schools for the 2020-21 season. This and the game set for December 12 between the two schools will be non-conference games.
If you include the exhibition against Chattanooga, the Bearcats have had at least three players hit double-figures in scoring in the past two games.
The last time these two teams met, both Berrien and Sidney Robinson scored in double-figures to lift the Bearcats over the Pacers 65-54. Only going with five players on Senior Day, the Pacers were led by Kyle Tackleberry with 20 points along with six rebounds and three assists.
Along with defeating the Pacers on their Senior Day, Lander took down Aiken 88-83 on January 25 in Greenwood.
The Pacers will be without four of their top-five scorers from last season. Faison Brock (19.5 PPG), Xzavier Barmore (11.9 PPG), Dhieu Deing (11.6 PPG) and Shaquan Jules (11.5 PPG) have either left or graduated. Aiken sees Gus Rowland (13.8 PPG) as the returning leading scorer for the Pacers.
Aiken begins their season with Lander on the 9th. Lander and Aiken were originally supposed to play on November 23, but that game was canceled.
The Pacers went 17-14 last season, which saw them face two top-25 teams over the first week of the season. Aiken enjoyed a 10-6 record at home along with a 13-7 conference record. They last played on March 4 against Columbus State in the PBC Quarterfinals, falling 87-65.