Box Score AUGUSTA, GA--Augusta State senior Ernesia Wideman hit a jumper from just inside the top of the key as time expired as the Lady Jaguars (4-0, 1-0 PBC) shocked the 17th ranked USC Aiken Lady Pacers (5-2, 0-1 PBC) 50-48 Saturday night at the ASU Sports Complex.  It was the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams.  

The loss snapped the Lady Pacers five-game winning streak, six-game winning streak versus ASU, and 15-game winning streak against PBC North Division foes.  

USC Aiken led 46-39 with 7:09 to play following a lay-up by junior Sarah Kendrick.  But nearly a six-minute scoring drought by the Lady Pacers allowed ASU to climb back into the game.  With 1:40 to play, Wideman hit just her second shot of the game, but it was a big one, as she sank a three-pointer from the top of the key to give the Lady Jaguars a 48-46 lead.  It was their first lead since holding a
15-14 edge with 9:05 left in the first half.  

After falling behind by two, senior Allison Nold stepped up and hit a 17-footer from the left wing for the Lady Pacers, knotting the game at 48-48.  Nold finished with seven points on 2-of-5 shooting and three offensive rebounds in 29 minutes.  

But in the final 78 seconds, Augusta State had three chances to score after two offensive boards and a foul assessed to USCA as the shot clock expired.  With 10.5 to play, ASU head coach Greg Wilson called a timeout and drew up the game winning play.  Wideman drained the game winner from practically the same spot as her three-pointer that gave the Lady Jaguars the lead.  

Foul trouble saddled the Lady Jags Arijana Sijercic in the first half as she had just three points and no rebounds in eight minutes.  In the second half, the PBC's leading rebounder pulled down six boards and added seven more points to tie teammate Shundra Johnson for team-high honors with 10 points.  

ASU's game plan, however, was also effective as the Lady Jags held All-Conference guards Jami Cornwell and Julie Szabo to a combined eight points on 4-of-13 shooting.  Entering the game, Szabo was 9-of-15 from the three-point line (60.0 percent) in her last two games but was 0-of-3 tonight.  Cornwell did reach one milestone in the loss.  Her four rebounds gives her 502 in her career at USCA.  

Juniors Katie Mitchell and Erica Larsen came off Mike Brandt's bench to lead the Lady Pacers with eight points each.  Jen Kennedy and Kendrick each added seven points, Kennedy's all coming in the first half.  

ASU committed 21 turnovers compared the Lady Pacers 16, but won the battle of the boards 31-29.  They shot 42.9 percent from the field (18-of-42) and 46.2 percent from downtown (6-of-13).  Coming into the game, ASU had made just nine three pointers in three games and were shooting 27.3 percent.  

USCA connected on 19-of-51 shots from the field (37.3 percent) including just 4-of-17 from downtown (23.5 percent).  

After trailing from the outset, Tameika Bridges scored her only bucket of the game at 14:50 of the first half to claim ASU's first lead at 8-7.  They held that lead until Larsen's lay-up at 8:14 gave the Lady Pacers the lead back at 16-15.  USCA pushed the lead to six at 25-19 with 4:20 to play in the half following two free throws by Nold and finished the half with a 29-25 advantage.  

The Lady Pacers will return home to "The Courthouse" on Monday, December 2 when they host North Carolina Central at 5:30 PM.  In the second round of last year's NCAA Division II Tournament at Mars Hill, NC, it was NC Central upsetting second-seeded USCA 78-61 to end the Lady Pacers season.  The Lady Pacers have a 15-game home court winning streak, sixth longest active streak in Division II.

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#17 USC Aiken (48): Katie Mitchell 8, Erica Larsen 8, Jen Kennedy 7, Allison Nold 7, Sarah Kendrick 7, Jami Cornwell 4, Julie Szabo 4, Katie Rokus 3, 

Augusta State (50): Shundra Johnson 10, Arijana Sijercic 10, Sabrina Jones 8, Ernesia Wideman 7, Julie Robbins 6, Andrea McCurry 3, Melanie Massey 2, Christina Pedarre 2, Tamekia Bridges