AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 2-ranked Lander women's basketball team defeated PBC foe USC Aiken 71-61 on Wednesday night, led by 19 points from Zamiya Passmore and a double-double from Makaila Cange. 

With the victory, Lander improved to 11-0 overall and 9-0 in the PBC, while the Pacers dropped to 2-5 (2-4 PBC). 

Passmore led all scorers while also dishing four assists in 36 minutes. It marked seventh consecutive game scoring in double figures. Cangé finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

In the 96th meeting between the two teams, the Bearcats moved ahead in the all-time series, 50-46. 

The first quarter featured just four points in the opening three minutes. Cangé drained a jumper at the 5:00 mark to spark an 11-0 Lander run as the Bearcats built an 18-11 lead at the end of the first period. 

Amiaya Melvins put Lander up 28-17 with 5:08 to go in the second quarter, but USC Aiken closed the half on a 15-5 spurt to trim Lander's advantage to 33-32 at the half. 

In a third quarter that featured five ties and three lead changes, neither team pulled ahead by more than four. Lander trailed 53-50 with 1:05 remaining, but scored the next eight points, highlighted by an and-one from Miriam Recarte, to go up 58-53 with 8:04 left to play.

Lander's defense stepped up in the final quarter, holding USC Aiken to 3-of-17 shooting. Melvins, Recarte, and Passmore scored on consecutive possessions to put the Bearcats up 10 with 6:32 to go. Recarte tallied four of her six blocks in the fourth quarter as the Pacers would not get closer than seven point the rest of the way. 

The Bearcats hit 32.9 percent for the game, but held the Pacers to 38.9 percent shooting, including 17.6 percent in the fourth quarter. The Bearcats limited USC Aiken to just eight points in the fourth quarter, marking the third time in the last four games Lander has held its opponent to single digits in the final stanza.

Lander will hit the road again this weekend for a road contest at Francis Marion Saturday, Feb. 13, at 1:30 p.m.

#cLawsUp | @LanderWBB