Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken's men's basketball team earned their first win of the season tonight by defeating UNC Pembroke, 77-68, in a Peach Belt Conference game at "The Courthouse" in Aiken, S.C.  Lee Burton's 19 points for the Pacers (1-4, 1-1 PBC) led all scorers.  Five players scored in double digits for USCA.  The Braves (0-4, 0-2 PBC) were led by Anthony Crank's 13 points. 
 
"I was really pleased with the balance, we had five players in double figures and two of them came off the bench," said USC Aiken Head Coach Mike Roberts.
 With the win, the Pacers evened up their Peach Belt Conference record. 
  
"It was extremely important to get a win, now we're 1-1 in the division with 17 games left," Roberts said. 
  
USC Aiken will step out of conference play on Saturday when they travel to Charleston, S.C., for a 6:00 p.m. game against NCAA Division I College of Charleston. 
  
"I want us to go down there and be ready to play," Roberts added. 
  
The Pacers shot 54.8 percent (17-for-31), in the first half, on their way to building a 16-point halftime lead, 43-27.  Burtongave USC Aiken an early 3-0 lead with a three-point basket, from the left corner, 21 seconds into the game.  The Pacers never trailed from that point.  Crank answered for the Braves with a three of his own to tie the game for the only time, 3-3.  A jumper by Bryant Latimer and a lay-up by Burton gave USCA a 7-3 lead. 
  
A basket by Crank drew UNC Pembroke to within two points at 9-7.  UNCP wouldn't get any closer.  Another Burton trey and a three pointer by Latimer, sandwiched around a Mark Salazar three-point basket for UNCP, extended the Pacer lead to six points, 15-9.  Burton hit on three of his five three-point shots in the first half and six of eight shots from the field for 15 points at intermission.
Mitch Lewis followed Latimer's three with two treys of his own.  After a Taurus Watson jumper, Lewis canned his third three-point basket in just over four 
minutes to finish off an 11-3 Pacer run and extend the USCA lead to 14 points, 26-12, with 9:33 left in the half.  The senior came off the bench and hit four of his five first half shots, all of which were three-pointers, for 12 first half points.  He would add three more points in the second half to finish with a career high 15 points in 15 minutes of play. 
  
Travis Wallace's lay-up with 6:34 remaining in the half cut the USC Aiken lead to nine points.  The Pacers answered with six straight points, finished off by a Jamall Gray jumper, to build a 15 point lead with 4:20 to go in the first.
After a missed three by UNCP's Desi Crisp, that would have gotten the Braves to within 10 points, Lewis connected on a three-point basket, his fourth, as the horn sounded to send the Pacers to the locker room with their largest lead, 16 points, 43-27. 
  
USC Aiken shot 50 percent (8-for-16) from behind the three-point arch in the first half.  UNC Pembroke shot 44 percent (11-for-25) from the field and 44.4 percent from behind the arch in the first 20 minutes. 
  
Keith Melvin's lay-up, almost six minutes into the second half, cut the Pacer lead to 12 points.  USCA answered with another 11-3 run, capped by a jumper by Latimer, to push out to their largest lead of the game, 60-40, with 10:10 left in the game.  The junior transfer from Winthrop University finished the night with 11 points, his fifth consecutive double-digit performance for the Pacers.  He added two rebounds and three assists. 
  
Gray's jumper gave USC Aiken their second 20-point lead, 63-43, with 8:06 remaining.  The Pacers would hold a 20-point advantage on five more occasions in the game's final eight minutes.  Gray turned in the best game of his career.  The junior set career highs in points (10) and rebounds (8).  He also had an assist and one block. 
  
The Braves outscored USCA, 14-3, over the final 3:56.  Crank hit a three-pointer with 11 seconds to go to cut the Pacer lead to nine points and set the final score at 77-68.
The two teams combined for 60 fouls in the game, 26 committed by UNC Pembroke and 24 by USC Aiken.  The Braves connected on 15 of 25 free throws for 60 percent while the Pacers hit 17 of their 27 free throws for 63 percent.  USCA out rebounded Pembroke, 33-29, and held a 16-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
SCORING: 
UNC Pembroke (68): Desi Crisp 5, Travis Wallace 8, Lionel Capers 7, Matthew Hubbard 7, Anthony Crank 13, Terrence Williams 2, Mark Salazar 6, Rico Odom 6, Greg Joyner 7, Keith Melvin 4, Jesse Wilson 3
USC Aiken (77): Bryant Latimer 11, Minda Statkus 2, Todd Williams 11, Lee Burton 19, Eric Dugans 2, Jamall Gray 10, Taurus Watson 5, Mitch Lewis 15, Mira Jonuska 2