Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken tied its own Peach Belt Conference record for blocks in a game, but lost to Georgia College & State University, 77-53, tonight (Saturday) in a match-up of men's basketball teams in Milledgeville, Ga. The Pacers (7-10, 1-5 PBC) blocked 13 shots against the Bobcats (5-12, 2-4 PBC) matching performances against Coastal Carolina on Dec. 5, 1998 and against Lees-McRae on Nov. 19, 1997.

USCA shot under 40 percent for the third straight game, hitting only 14-of-47 attempts from the field for 29.8 percent. Georgia College & State made 25-of-62 shots for 40.3 percent including six-of-11 three-point attempts in the first 20 minutes on its way to building a 12-point halftime lead.

GC&SU opened the game with a 20-6 run and USC Aiken never recovered. Travis Nesby connected on four three-pointers in a span of three minutes during the run. The junior had only made nine shots from beyond the three-point arch all season and entered the game averaging just 3.8 points per game. Nesby didn't score another point the rest of the game, but the damage was already done.

The Pacers slowly cut the lead in half. Lee Burton's trey brought USCA to within nine, 26-17, with 5:45 left in the first half. Trent Boyd's two free throws at the 4:11 mark narrowed the Bobcat advantage to seven, 28-21, but USCA wouldn't get any closer the rest of the game.

Burton tied teammate Bryant Latimer with a game-high 14 points.

Jon Haymon's basket with 30 seconds left before the break sent USC Aiken to the locker room trailing 37-25.

Four straight points to start the second stanza extended the Bobcat lead to 16, 41-25, with 18:53 left in the game. 

A bucket by Todd Williams at the 16:46 mark cut the deficit to 12 points. GC&SU answered with a 10-0 run. Willie Francis scored five of his eight points during the run and his old fashioned three-point play put the Bobcats in front 51-29. The Pacers couldn't get any closer than 18 points the rest of the way. 

Nesby and Jeff Tarver led Georgia College & State with 12 points each. Cooper Sellers and Tylan Gatling finished with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Senior Jamall Gray blocked seven shots, Williams added five of his own and five-foot-nine inch Boyd had one block to account for USCA's record tying 13 blocks.

The Bobcats out-rebounded the Pacers 44-30, including 21 off the offensive glass. Kevin Benn led GC&SU with nine boards. 

USC Aiken will play UNC Pembroke, in Pembroke, N.C., on Wednesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. 

SCORING:
GC&SU (77): Jeff Tarver 12, Kevin Benn 8, Duke Gibbs 6, Cooper Sellers 11, Tylan Gatling 10, Matt Gibbs 0, Travis Nesby 12, Aaron Gibbs 0, Stephone Washington 2, Willie Francis 8, Justin Smith 0, Jon Haymon 8

USC Aiken (53): Todd Williams 9, Curt Triplin 11, Jamall Gray 0, Trent Boyd 2, Bryant Latimer 14, Lee Burton 14, Martynas Valaitis 3, Cameron Conover 0