Box Score COLUMBUS, GA.--USC Aiken lost for the ninth straight time Saturday night, falling to seventh ranked Columbus State University, 65-49, in Columbus, Ga.  The Pacers shot just 32.1 percent from the field and committed 26 turnovers.  The Cougars won their 16th straight game and improved to 17-1 overall and a league best 9-0 in the Peach Belt Conference.  USCA dropped to 2-15 and 1-8 in the PBC. 
  
Minda Statkus (Mazeikai, Lithuania) got the Pacers off to a good start with a bucket at the 19:45 mark of the first half to put USC Aiken out in front 2-0.  USCA would hold the lead until midway through the first half.  After John Thomas got the Cougars within one, 9-8, with 13:47 remaining in the half, Bryant Latimer (Columbia, S.C.) nailed a three-pointer and Statkus hit a lay-up to give USC Aiken their largest lead of the game, 14-8, with 12:57 left in the first.  Statkus scored six of the first 14 USCA points. 
  
Columbus State answered with a 17-0 run as the Pacers went scoreless for the next 11:40.  Kamar Zachery gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with jumper at the 10:06 mark.  Deshawn Bowman scored all seven points of his first half points during the run.  A Zachery free throw gave CSU their largest first half lead, 11 points, 25-14, with 1:54 left in the half. 
  
Another Latimer trey ended the Pacers drought with 1:17 on the clock.  A Taurus Watson (Batesburg, S.C.) lay-up got USCA within six points at the break, 25-19.
Jed Bedford, the Cougars top scorer at 20.5 points per game, went scoreless in the first half, missing all four of his shots from the field.  The junior opened the second half with a bomb from long range 12 seconds into the second half to put Columbus State ahead 28-19.  Another three-pointer by Bedford gave the Cougars a 12-point lead, 38-26, with 15:45 left in the game.
Eric Dugans (Columbia, S.C.) answered with a trey of his own to get the Pacers within nine points, 38-29, with 14:16 remaining.  USC Aiken would get no closer the rest of the game.
The Cougars slowly built a twenty-point lead.  Bedford's fourth three of the second half gave CSU their largest lead of the game, 21 points, 58-37, with 3:53 left in the game.  He would add another trey and finish the night with a game-high 15 points on five-of-15 shooting from the field and five-of-13 shooting from behind the three-point arch.
Statkus led the Pacers with 14 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.  The junior also had an assist, a block and a steal.  Latimer and Lee Burton (Clearwater, Fla.) each scored 12 points for USC Aiken.  John Thomas picked up 14 points for the Cougars.
For the game, Columbus State connected on 35.3 percent (24-for-68) of their shots.  The Cougars turned the ball over just 15 times, compared to the 26 USCA turnovers.  The Pacers out-rebounded CSU, 42-40.
Next up for the Pacers will be a Wednesday match-up with the University of North Florida.  The Ospreys will pay a visit to "The Courthouse" for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
SCORING: 
Columbus State (65):  John Thomas 14, Jon Antonelli 2, Cedric Howell 6, Deshawn Bowman 9, Jed Bedford 15, Pershin Williams 3, Joey Gunter 2, Carmel Evans 8, Kamar Zachery 6
USC Aiken (49):  Taurus Watson 2, Minda Statkus 14, Bryant Latimer 12, Lee Burton 12, Eric Dugans 5, Mitch Lewis 4