Box Score SALISBURY, N.C.--USC Aiken's men's basketball team beat Livingstone College, 92-82, today (Dec. 13) in Salisbury, N.C. For the third time in four games, Lee Burton scored 20 or more points, this time he set a new career high with 27 against the Blue Bears. The Pacers evened their record at 3-3 by shooting a season best 54.5 percent from the field. Livingstone, a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athlecis Association (CIAA) drops to 1-7 overall.

Chris Gillard drew first blood for the Blue Bears with a lay up, just over a minute into the game, to give Livingstone an early 2-0 lead. Minda Statkus gave USC Aiken its first lead of the game, 5-3, with a lay up of his own at the 18:20 mark. Statkus scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half.

A free throw and a lay up by Joseph Barnett began a 10-2 run for the Blue Bears. An Edwin Samson basket with 13:15 to play in the first half capped the run and gave Livingstone its largest lead of the game, eight points, 20-12.

The Pacers answered with a run of their own. Two free throws by Bryant Latimer ended a 9-2 USCA run that put the Pacers in front, 26-25, with 8:01 on the clock. The two teams exchanged baskets until a bucket by Martynas Valaitis, with 5:57 remaining in the first half, gave USC Aiken a 30-29 advantage, a lead the Pacers would never relinquish. Valaitis finished the day with a career best nine points.

Livingstone stayed within six points through the first four and a half minutes of the second half. A jumper and a three pointer by Burton, followed by a Jamall Gray lay up, allowed USC Aiken to string together seven unanswered points and build a 10-point lead, 51-41, with 14:19 left in the game.

Burton connected on seven-of-14 shots from the field and 11-of-16 free throw attempts on his way to besting his previous career high of 24 points set twice against Carson-Newman. The senior scored 24 against the Eagles on Nov. 26, 2002 and again just one week ago, Dec. 6, 2003.

The Blue Bears drew within two points on six occasions, the last coming off a basket by Glen Tucker at the 7:57 mark, but wouldn't get any closer. The Pacers slowly increased their lead. With 2:29 left in the game, Burton hit the front end of two free throw attempts to give USCA its largest lead of the game, 12 points, 82-70. The Pacers would hold a 12-point advantage two more times in the closing minutes and hit six-of-nine free throws over the final two minutes to seal the victory.

USCA shot 63 percent in the second half and connected on 30-of-55 (54.5 percent) shots from the field for the game. Livingstone shot 39.4 percent (28-of-71) from the floor and 54.5 percent (six-of-11) from three point land. USC Aiken held a 41-39 rebounding advantage.

Curt Triplin led the Pacers rebounding efforts with 17 boards to go along with 17 points. The junior's rebound total marks the second time this season he has come up one rebound short of tying the school record.

The Pacers will be back in action again on Monday when they play Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

SCORING:
Livingstone College (82): Michael Brown 13, J.C. Henry 24, Jermichael Simon 7, Chris Gillard 6, Michael Dundas 7, Cory Lee 5, Edwin Samson 10, Glenn Tucker 2, Rashad Smith 2, Otamere Oronsaye 0, James Brown 0, Joseph Barnett 6

USC Aiken (92): Curt Triplin 17, Leroy Williams 7, Jamall Gray 4, Trent Boyd 1, Bryant Latimer 10, Martynas Valaitis 9, Lee Burton 27, Minda Statkus 17, Mira Jonuska 0