Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--All five starters scored in double figures for USC Aiken as the Pacers defeated UNC Pembroke tonight, 97-82, in a match-up of Peach Belt Conference men's basketball teams at "The Courthouse" in Aiken, S.C.
Bryant Latimer scored a career-high and game-high, 28 points for the Pacers (7-7, 1-2 PBC). Damien Goodman led the Braves (1-12, 0-3 PBC) with 23 points.
USC Aiken took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but back-to-back three-pointers by Anthony Crank, in the first two minutes of the second half, allowed UNC Pembroke to cut the lead to five, 50-45, with 18:04 to play. The Braves, however, would not get any closer.
Todd Williams dunk at the 15:26 mark extended the USCA advantage to 11 points, 56-45. The senior's jumper with 11:03 left in the game gave the Pacers a 14-point lead, 66-52. Williams finished with 16 points and four rebounds.
Latimer's three-pointer gave USC Aiken its largest lead of the game, 19 points, 75-56, with 6:40 left in the game. The Columbia, S.C., native beat his previous best of 27 points, set against USC Spartanburg on Feb. 22, 2003, by hitting eight-of-12 shots from the field, including five-of-eight from deep, and seven-of-eight from the free throw line.
The Pacers connected on 11-of-12 free throw attempts in the final minute to secure the win.
USC Aiken missed its first five shots out of the gate and fell behind, 8-1 with 17 minutes remaining in the first half, after Damien Goodman's basket and free throw. Goodman made 10-of-15 shots from the field and finished with five rebounds and five assists to go along with his 23 points.
USCA responded with a 12-2 run.
Minda Statkus put back a
Curt Triplin miss to tie the game, 8-8, with 16:19 on the clock. Statkus' lay-up and free throw at the 14:51 mark capped the run and put the Pacers in front, 13-10. Statkus turned in his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Triplin, the reigning Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week, contributed his seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After Goodman's dunk put the Braves back in front by one, 14-13, with 14:09 before intermission, USC Aiken used a 13-2 run to take a 10-point advantage. Latimer connected on two treys, during the run, with the second giving USCA a 26-16 lead with 11:54 on the clock.
Statkus took a no-look pass from
Trent Boyd on a fast break to go up by 13, 31-18. Another three-pointer by Latimer gave the Pacers their largest first half lead, 15 points, 34-19, with 9:20 before halftime.
Five unanswered by UNC Pembroke allowed the Braves to cut 14-point deficit to nine at the break.
USCA shot 52.5 percent for the game and 45.8 percent (11-of-24) from three-point land. UNCP connected on 43.1 percent of its field goal attempts. The Pacers won the rebounding battle, 39-35, but committed 18 turnovers compared to the Braves' 15 miscues.
Lee Burton was the fifth USC Aiken starter in double figures. The junior made four-of-nine from deep and eight-of-10 from the charity stripe for 22 points.
Travis Wallace scored 14 points for UNC Pembroke. Crank finished with 11 while Thomas Lahart scored 13 points off the bench.
The Pacers will be back in action on Saturday when they host Columbus State at "The Courthouse" in Aiken. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
SCORING:
UNC Pembroke (82): Damien Goodman 23, Mark Salazar 4, Travis Wallace 14, Anthony Crank 11, Ricardo Williams 8, Thomas Lahart 13, Frank Foster 9
USC Aiken (97): Todd Williams 16,
Minda Statkus 13,
Curt Triplin 12,
Bryant Latimer 28,
Lee Burton 22,
Leroy Williams 4,
Trent Boyd 2
