Box Score AUGUSTA, GA.--USC Aiken lost to Augusta State University, 69-48, tonight in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action at the ASU Athletic Complex in Augusta, Ga.  After earning a tie with the Jaguars at halftime, the Pacers shot 26.9 percent (7/26) in the second half to allow ASU to pull away for the win.  USC Aiken drops to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the PBC.  Augusta State picked up their first victory of the season, improving to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the PBC. 
  
Minda Statkus broke the 27-27 halftime tie with a lay-up for the Pacers 38 seconds into the second half.  A three-point basket by ASU's David Siebrands and a lay-up by teammate Jermale Wilkerson gave the Jaguars a three-point lead at 32-29.  Statkus nearly recorded his second double-double of the season by finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds.  The junior also contributed three blocks and three steals in the losing effort.


Todd Williams was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound.  The junior's two free throws gave the Pacers their last lead of the game at 33-32.  Siebrands two free throws with 16:52 remaining put the Jaguars back in front, 34-33. The transfer from UNC Pembroke finished with a game-high 18 points.  The senior tied for the team-high with seven rebounds, had one block and one assist.

Jamall Gray's lay-up tied the game, 37-37, for the fifth and final time.  A three-pointer and a lay-up by Dean Brebner followed by a lay-up by Patrick Curran put the Jaguars ahead by seven, 44-37, with 12:03 remaining.  Eric Dugans jumper cut the Jaguar lead to five.  The Pacers would get no closer as they would score just five points over the next 10 minutes and three seconds.

Two Curran free throws extended the ASU lead back to seven points and began a 23-5 Jaguar run that would put the game out of reach for the Pacers.  Curran scored seven of his 14 points during the run.  The junior finished with four rebounds, two assists and one block to go with his 14 points.
Wilkerson's lay-up with 1:42 remaining put ASU ahead by 23 points, their largest lead of the game, at 67-44.

USC Aiken came into the game shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the three-point line.  For the game the Pacers shot 3-for-11 from behind the arch for 27.3 percent.  Overall, USCA shot 34 percent (18/53) from the field compared to ASU's 41.7 percent (25/60). 
  
The Pacers were slowed by a season-high 24 turnovers.  The Jaguars committed 16 turnovers in the game. 
  
A jumper by Williams and a trey by Bryant Latimer cut the ASU lead to 19 with 1:06 left in the game.  The Jaguars closed out the scoring with a jumper by Shane Pangle to set the final score at 69-48.  Latimer finished the night with 11 points in 38 minutes of play. 
  
USC Aiken jumped out early on Augusta State in the first half.  Lee Burton's three-point basket gave the Pacers a 7-2 lead with 16:54 left in the first.  Burton finished with just three points on the night after a 24-point game against Carson-Newman on Tuesday. 
  
ASU cut the Pacer lead to two points, but USCA answered with a 10-2 run to move ahead by 10 points with 10:08 remaining in the first half.  The Jaguars chipped away at the Pacer lead until finally moving out in front, 22-21, on Brebner's lay-up with 4:12 left.  Gray's lay-up with 1:29 to go in the first half put USCA in front, 27-25, and closed out the first half scoring for the Pacers.  A free throw by Brebner and another by Marty Dunham set the halftime score at 27-27. 
  
The Pacers continue early season PBC play when they host UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at "The Courthouse" in Aiken, S.C.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
SCORING: 
Augusta State (69): Marty Dunham 3, David Siebrands 18, Jermale Wilkerson 12, Chris Harriman 3, Dean Brebner 11, Darrick Broddie 6, Patrick Curran 14, Shane Pangle 2 
  
USC Aiken (48): Todd Williams 4, Minda Statkus 11, Bryant Latimer 11, Lee Burton 3, Eric Dugans 9, Jamall Gray 8, BJ Ivey 2