GREENWOOD, S.C. - Makaila Cange,
Amiaya Melvins and
Miriam Recarte scored a combined 50 points as the No. 7-ranked Lander Bearcats shut down USC Aiken 83-39 in a Peach Belt Conference game Saturday afternoon at Horne Arena.
Lander beat the Pacers for the seventh time in their last eight meetings, improving to 16-2 overall and 10-2 in the Peach Belt.
USC Aiken fell to 7-13, 3-9.
Cange scored 20 points, making eight of 12 shots from the floor and all four of her free throw attempts while leading the team with rebounds.
Melvins scored 11 of her 16 points in the opening minutes of the final quarter and led the Bearcats with a career-high eight assists.
Recarte scored 14 points while grabbing eight boards and blocking five shots for Lander.
Vashae Rideout scored 10 points and had five assists for the Bearcats,
Sarah Crews had eight points and three steals, and
Aniaya Jester added seven points and three steals.
Grace Crawford led USC Aiken with eight points while Allycia Harris paced the visitors with seven rebounds.
Lander had a huge 25-6 advantage in assists.
Crews and Recarte each scored twice as Lander built a 10-2 lead in the first five-plus minutes of the game. The advantage grew to 17-4 after one quarter.
Rideout hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second period, giving the Bearcats leads of 22-6 at 8:56 and 36-13 at 3:07.
Lander led 40-15 at halftime behind a combined 27 points from Cange, Recarte and Rideout. The Blue and Gold made 17 shots in the first half to only six for USC Aiken.
After Crawford's 3-pointer pulled the Pacers within 44-20 at the 7:44 mark, Lander went on an 11-0 run. Recarte found Cange over the top for a layup, Jester made a back-door layup off a pass from Cange, Cange made two free throws which were the Blue and Gold's first attempts from the line in the game, Crews scored in the paint, and Jester swished a 3-pointer from the right side for a 55-20 lead with four minutes left in the third.
USC Aiken closed the quarter with a 9-3 run as the Bearcats led 58-29 going into the fourth.
Melvins put back a teammate's missed free throw and then added a three-point play, Recarte knocked down a 3-pointer from the left side, Melvins added two free throws and scored twice more for a 75-31 advantage with six minutes left.
Cierra Revelle and
Carley Culberson added late 3-pointers for Lander.
