Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken's men's basketball team fell to 10th ranked Carson-Newman College tonight at "The Courthouse" in Aiken, S.C.  Lee Burton led the Pacers 0-3) with a game high 24 points.  Dustin Edwards scored 20 points to lead the visiting Eagles (3-0).  Braun Dabbs' three point basket, for Carson-Newman, with 40 seconds left in the game extended a two-point Eagle lead to five as CNC held on for the win. 
  
Carson-Newman opened the second half with a 13-2 run that extended a seven-point halftime lead into an 18-point lead, 48-30, with 14:51 left to play.  Pre-Season Division II Bulletin All-American Kyle Gribble contributed five points to the run with a three pointer and two free throws.  Gribble finished the night with 13 points on four for seven shooting, eight rebounds and two assists. 
  
Burton's three point basket, following Gribble's free throws, kept the game from getting away from the Pacers and began a 10-2 USC Aiken run that cut the Eagle lead to 10.  The junior scored eight of USCA's 10 points during the run.  He followed his trey with another basket that dropped the Carson-Newman lead to 13.  A Gribble duce put the Eagles back up by 15, but the senior was assessed a technical foul for his second delay of game warning.  Following Bryant Latimer's two free throws, another Burton jumper found the bottom of the net as he was fouled.  His free throw cut the Eagle lead to 10, 50-40. 
  
Just two points by USC Aiken over the next five minutes allowed Carson-Newman to jump back out to a 16-point lead, 58-42, with 8:18 remaining. 
  
Eric Dugans basket ended the Pacer drought and keyed a 9-0 run that allowed USCA back in the game and cut the Eagle lead to seven, 58-51, with just over five minutes to go.  An Edwards' bucket with 3:32 on the clock put Carson-Newman ahead by nine.  The pre-season all-conference selection had a game high 12 rebounds, five of which were offensive boards, on the night to go with his 20 points. 
  
The Pacers made one more run at Carson-Newman.  A Latimer lay-up got the Pacers within seven.  He finished with 10 points on the night to go along with three assists and two steals.  Following an Eagle turnover and an offensive board by USCA's Mitch Lewis, Burton drove to the basket, nailed the bucket and drew the foul.  The junior hit the free throw and brought USC Aiken to within four, 64-60.  Burton converted another Eagle turnover, this time by Gribble, into a lay-up at the other end and cut the lead to two at 64-62. 
  
The Pacer defense forced a third consecutive Carson-Newman turnover, but Todd Williams missed a jumper that would have tied the game with 1:15 to go.  USC Aiken nearly held the Eagles again, but Dabbs' three pointer from the right corner as the shot clock ran down put Carson-Newman ahead by five with 40 second remaining in the game.  The Eagles connected on three of four free throws in the finals seconds to seal the victory. 
  
Edwards' lay-up 38 seconds into the game gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead that they would never relinquish.  The Pacers tied the game three times in the first five minutes but could never move in front.  Gribble's three-point basket broke the third and final tie, 10-10.  The Eagles moved out by seven on four occasions in the first half but the Pacers answered each time. Taurus Watson's lay-up with 3:54 left in the first drew USCA to within two at 28-26.  Edwards scored the last of his 14 first half points on a jumper with 1:03 remaining to put the Eagles out in front by seven, 35-28.  Neither team scored in the final minute of the first half and the 35-28 score stood. 
  
The Pacers will begin their 2002-03 Peach Belt Conference schedule on Saturday when they travel to Augusta, Ga., to take on the Jaguars of Augusta State University.  Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m.
SCORING: 
Carson-Newman (70): Kyle Gribble 13, Todd Lucas 13, Dustin Edwards 20, Calvin Owen 2, Ishmail Simmons 7, Braun Dabbs 7, Marquis Foster 0, Larry Coleman 8, Stan Davis 0
USC Aiken (64): Leroy Williams 3, Jamall Gray 0, Taurus Watson 2, BJ Ivey 0, Bryant Latimer 10, Lee Burton 24, Eric Dugans 4, Todd Williams 5, Mitch Lewis 0, Minda Statkus 8, Mira Jonuska 8, Russell Harbin 0