Alexander Unveils USC Aiken 2010-11 Men’s Basketball Schedule

2010-11 USC Aiken Men's Basketball Schedule

AIKEN, S.C. – University of South Carolina Aiken men’s basketball head coach Vince Alexander unveiled the 2010-11 Pacer men’s basketball schedule on Monday, Aug. 16.

The 2010-11 USC Aiken men’s basketball schedule features a full Peach Belt Conference slate along with a strong non-conference schedule. USC Aiken will also host a Pre-Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center on Thursday, Dec. 16 and Friday, Dec. 17.

“I think every year our schedule gets tougher,” remarked Alexander. “I believe that this is a schedule that places us against great competition early and that it in turn will get us ready for the rigors of the extremely tough Peach Belt Conference.”

USC Aiken will open its 2010-11 campaign with an exhibition against Southern Wesleyan at the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Pacers will be commencing their first action in a season for the second consecutive season against the Warriors. The Pacers downed Southern Wesleyan, 92-58, on Nov. 5, 2009 at the Convocation Center.

The Pacers will officially begin their 2010-11 regular season the next week against Vorhees at the Convocation Center. The game is the start of a season-long three-game road swing. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The Pacers and Tigers will be tangling on the hardwood against one another for the 17th time with USC Aiken owning an 11-5 all-time series advantage. The two teams have not played since the 1991-92 season.

USC Aiken will hit the road for a trip to the Sunshine State shortly after the game with the Tigers with the Pacers taking on Sunshine State Conference power Florida Southern on Saturday, Nov. 20. The gametime has not been set as of yet, but the match-up will mark the third straight year that the NCAA Division II powers have faced off against one another. The Pacers will be playing the Mocs in Lakeland, Fla. for the second time in the last three years.

The Pacers return back to the Palmetto State next for an important non-conference game against in-state foe Benedict in Columbia, S.C.  The Pacers and Tigers will hit the hardwood against one another at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23. USC Aiken is 4-2 all-time against Benedict, having last bested the Tigers, 82-74, on Dec. 5, 2009 at the Convocation Center.

USC Aiken will close out the month of November on Saturday, Nov. 27 on the road in Marietta, Ga. against NAIA power Life. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Pacers and Running Eagles will be renewing acquaintances for the second straight year. USC Aiken opened its 2009-10 season one year earlier with a thrilling 87-85 overtime victory over Life at the Convocation Center on Nov. 18, 2009. The game was the first ever meeting between the two programs.

For the second consecutive season, the Pacers will open its Peach Belt Conference campaign and the month of December against PBC East rival Francis Marion. The Pacers and Patriots will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1. The same weekend, USC Aiken will hit the road for the first time in league action for a contest against PBC East foe Flagler at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 in St. Augustine, Fla. USC Aiken will then have a week off before traveling to Columbus, Ga. for a 4 p.m. PBC game against Columbus State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11.

The Pacers will close out the 2010 calendar year by hosting the USC Aiken Pre-Holiday Classic and playing host to Mars Hill. More information will be available on the USC Aiken Pre-Holiday Classic in the coming days. Please check PacerSports.com to learn more about USC Aiken’s tournament.

The Mars Hill game is slated to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30. The game against Mars Hill, who the Pacers are 11-1 against all-time, will be USC Aiken’s final non-league game for almost two months as the Pacers will turn their full attention to PBC play from the outset of the 2011 calendar year.

USC Aiken’s first foray into PBC play in 2011 will take place on Monday, Jan. 3 in Americus, Ga. with the Pacers and the Hurricanes of Georgia Southwestern hitting the hardwood against one another at 7:30 p.m.

The Pacers will close out the first full week of January with two crucial PBC East home games against UNC Pembroke (Jan. 5) and Armstrong Atlantic State (Jan. 8). The two games are both 7:30 p.m. tip-offs. The Pacers will travel to Florence, S.C. to start the next week by taking on Francis Marion for the second game in 2010-11 of their PBC East rivalry.

USC Aiken returns home after the Francis Marion game for two home contests against PBC West foes Clayton State and North Georgia. The Pacers will first play their lone game against the Lakers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15 before taking on the Saints of North Georgia for the only time in 2010-11 at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 17. The Pacers will close out the week with an important PBC East game against Lander at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22 in Greenwood, S.C.

The Pacers will have two consecutive games next that will surely have the attention of all of Division II basketball with the Pacers and rival Augusta State playing on Monday, Jan. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 2. The first meeting between the two programs in 2010-11 will take place at Christenberry Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. The Pacers and Jaguars will then take a long break before hitting the hardwood for the regular season finale between the two teams at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Convocation Center.

The Pacers will then face Flagler for the last time at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 before hitting the road later that week for a road date in Montevallo, Ala. against Montevallo.  The 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Feb. 10 will mark the first time the Pacers will play the Falcons on the road with Montevallo as a member of the PBC.

Just two days later, USC Aiken returns home from its long trip to Montevallo for a home game against Georgia College & State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12. The Pacers will then play their final two road league games on Wednesday, Feb. 16 against UNC Pembroke and on Saturday, Feb. 19 against Armstrong Atlantic State.

USC Aiken’s final home game of the year will feature the Pacers taking on Lander at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The game will serve as senior day for the Pacers.

The Pacers will close out the 2010-11 regular season on Saturday, Feb. 26 with a road game against King College at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The USC Aiken men’s basketball program has won a school-record 72 games over the last three seasons. The 72 victories over the three-year span are the most in the Palmetto State among all levels of college basketball.

Under the guidance of Alexander, USC Aiken has become a national force in NCAA Division II over the past three seasons. In addition to the victories, the 2007-08 USC Aiken men’s basketball team won the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship and the 2008-09 Pacer men’s basketball team advanced farther than any other squad in program history to the NCAA Division II “Sweet Sixteen.” The 2009-10 USC Aiken men’s basketball team claimed the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship.