Box Score AIKEN, SC--Clayton State (10-9, 2-6 PBC) out scored USC Aiken (11-7, 3-4 PBC) 23-8 in the opening 11 minutes of the second half to turn a 30-29 halftime deficit into a 52-38 lead in downing the Lady Pacers 62-52 in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball on Saturday night in front of a homecoming crowd at "The Courthouse". USCA has now dropped three straight home conference games for the first time since the end of the 1999-2000 season.
In a highly competitive first half, USC Aiken led the opening 17:50 of the first stanza, but needed
Benazura Serbecic's bucket in the paint with 29.2 left to stake a 30-29 halftime lead. Serbecic finished with her second double double in the last three games scoring 12 points and tying a career-high with 15 boards.
USC Aiken dominated points in the paint 20-4 in the first half.
Erica Larsen scored eight of her 11 points in the first half. Serbecic added eight points and seven rebounds.
Katie Mitchell led the Lady Pacers with 13 points off the bench.
The Lady Pacers held the Lady Lakers scoreless for the first 3:49 racing to 6-0 start until Dawn Baldwin's only basket of the game made it 6-2.
USCA managed a four to six point lead for much of the next 10 minutes. Larsen connected on a pair of charity tosses followed by a jumper in the paint to extend the Lady Pacer lead to 20-15 with 7:06 remaining in the half.
Kate Kauffman and April Taylor connected on back-to-back baskets to get the Lady Lakers within one point 20-19 with 5:39 to play. But
Lana Mandic, Mitchell, and Larsen all scored to spark a 6-1 run and push back ahead 26-20.
Taylor led the Lady Lakers with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Jamika Hindsman and Carlie Anderson added 11 points each.
Anderson canned a triple from the left wing with 2:10 on the clock to cap a 7-0 Clayton State run and give her team its first lead of the game 27-26.
In the second half, Clayton State scored seven-straight points to take a 36-30 advantage with 17:47 remaining. USCA would never regain the lead.
Myeshia Choice's jumper extended the lead to 54-40 and, remarkably, marked the last field goal of the game for Clayton State with 7:54 to play. USC Aiken held the Lady Lakers to 0-of-8 shooting from the field and just 8-of-14 at the stripe the rest of the way, but poor shooting and turnovers bogged down the Lady Pacer rally.
USCA got within 55-48 with 2:32 remaining, grabbed a defensive rebound, and had four shots on the ensuing possession but could not get one to fall. Serbecic's bucket at 1:13 cut the margin to 56-50, but Clayton State held on for the 62-52 win.
For the game, USC Aiken shot 34.8 percent from the field including a dismal 28.6 percent in the second half. The Lady Pacers also failed to connect on any of their 12 three-point attempts. USCA was 6-of-8 at the free throw line for 75.0 percent.
USC Aiken will travel to Florence, SC on Wednesday, February 4 to square against Francis Marion at 5:30 PM in the 8,000-seat Florence Civic Center. Clayton State travels to take on Columbus State at 5:30 PM also on Wednesday.
SCORING:
Clayton State (62): April Taylor 11, Jamika Hindsman 11, Carlie Anderson 11, Cynthia Conseil 7, Brandi Catia 6, Myeshia Choice 6, Kate Kauffman 6, Dawn Baldwin 2, Shanakie Ward 2
USC Aiken (52): Katie Mitchell 13,
Benazura Serbecic 12,
Erica Larsen 11,
Kasey Mills 8,
Gezel Virella 4,
Lana Mandic 2,
Sarah Kendrick 2.
Boxscore
