AIKEN, S.C - Navaughn Maise dropped 25 points and Jared Sherfield added 24 points to lead the Bearcats past the USC Aiken Pacers at the Convocation Center in Aiken.

It was a raucous, back-and-forth affair for much of the game with both teams trading blows for most of the game, but the Bearcats were able to start pulling away on the strength of late-game shooting by Sherfield, who finished 8-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from behind the arc.

After giving up a quick bucket to DeShawn Thomas to begin the game, the Bearcats went on a 9-0 run to hold an 11-2 lead at the first media timeout of the ballgame. Two big three-pointers from Maise and Nigel Colvin, along with a traditional 3-point play from Sherfield, forced a timeout from Pacers head man Mark Vanderslice.

The Pacers would go a 9-0 run of their own to tie the game at 11 with just under 14 minutes to go in the first half before building a 9-point lead of their own at 26-17 with six minutes to play.

Four straight baskets by the Bearcats, three from Maise and a 3-pointer from Colvin, would even things up at 26 at the under-4 media timeout. The teams would trade blows to end the first half with Lander leading 34-33.

Both teams came out hot in half number two, trading buckets back and forth and knotting the game at 50 each with 13:27 remaining. Maise and Sherfield continued pacing the Bearcats, each hitting critical buckets to stave off a comeback from USC Aiken.

The Pacers would not get closer than 63-62 before Lander pulled away down the final stretch of the game to seal the 82-68 victory.

The win moves the Bearcats to 16-6 overall and 8-4 in conference play. The loss brings the Pacers record to 15-7 and 8-4 in Peach Belt Conference play. It leaves the teams effectively tied for 3rd in the PBC with identical records and having split the season series, each team winning on the other's home court.

The Bearcats host PBC-leading and 14th-ranked Augusta Jaguars at Finis Horne Arena on Wednesday with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

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