Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--Arnold Coates' turn-around jumper on the baseline with 34 seconds remaining in the game gave the USC Aiken men's basketball team a 68-66 season-opening win over Livingstone College tonight in Aiken, S.C. The Pacers (1-0) overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 13 minutes and earned a season-opening victory for the first time since 2001. 

Coates (pictured at right) led USCA with 17 points while William McNeil scored a team high 15 for the Blue Bears.

Mario Satterthwaite's jumper with 13:39 left in the game gave Livingstone its third 10-point lead of the second half. The Pacers answered with a 10-1 run keyed by six points from Coates to draw within one, 49-48, with 8:52 showing on the clock.

"We got down by 10, but chipped away, and chipped away, it wasn't pretty but November basketball isn't always pretty," said USC Aiken Head Coach Mike Roberts. "These guys continued to fight and fight."

Kenny Burr's three-pointer with 6:46 left in the game put the Pacers in front 54-53 and gave USCA its first lead since the 10:52 mark of the first half. 

The advantage swung back to Livingstone, and a three-pointer from Thomas Hughes with 3:04 left to play gave the Blue Bears a four-point cushion. After a missed USCA trey, Livingstone had the ball and a chance to increase its lead with just under two and a half minutes remaining. The Pacers forced a turnover however and the Blue Bears didn't score again.

Coates scored four of USC Aiken's final six points. Two of those came on a jumper with 2:07 on the clock that cut the deficit to just two points. Josh Geyer tied the game on a lay-up with 1:17 to go. 

After Coates hit what proved to be the game winner, Livingstone missed on a three pointer with 21 seconds left and a jumper with 13 ticks remaining. Marcus Robinson missed on two free throw attempts that could have sealed the game with nine seconds to go, but the Blue Bears missed another chance to tie the game when McNeil's jumper came off the left side and Burr secured the rebound and held on to the ball as the final three seconds ticked off the clock.

USC Aiken shot 39.3 percent for the game but limited Livingstone to 36.2 percent including 28 percent (nine-of-32) in the second half. The Pacers made only 17-of-32 from the free throw line for 53.1 percent.

Curt Triplin finished with a double-double, his 10th as a Pacer. The senior grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 16 points to go along with four assists. Trent Boyd played 31 minutes at the point, dished out seven assists and did not commit a turnover.

Livingstone jumped out of the gates and led 7-2 three minutes into the game. A three-pointer by Geyer and a Triplin lay-up tied it up with 16:24 left to play in the first half. Burr's trey with 12:17 to go before intermission gave the Pacers their largest lead of the game, four points, 19-15. 

The Blue Bears took control with an 18-4 run. Hughes free throw tied the game for the fifth time at 11:19, John Booker's old fashioned three-point play gave LC a three point advantage with just under 11 minutes to go. A jumper by McNeil capped the run and sent Livingstone out in front by 10, 33-23, with 6:44 showing on the clock. Booker finished the game with 10 points. 

The Pacers got within five points in the final two minutes of the first stanza but the Blue Bears edged out in front by 11 with a 6-0 run and took an eight point advantage, 42-34, into the locker room at the break.

USC Aiken will host the Fourth Annual Conoco Phillips Classic on Saturday and Sunday at "The Courthouse" on the USCA campus. The Pacers will play Carver Bible College at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and Carson-Newman College on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Augusta State will play Carson-Newman on Saturday at 5:00 p.m., and Carver Bible College on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

SCORING:
Livingstone College (66): William McNeil 15, John Booker 10, Kenneth McIntyre 8, Thomas Hughes 8, Brent Cowles 7, Marquell Sholar 7, Mario Satterthwaite 4, Stephen Butler 3, James Brown 2, Michael Brown 2, Rashad Smith 0, Travis Young 0, Desmond Mandley 0

USC Aiken (68): Arnold Coates 17, Curt Triplin 16, Josh Geyer 11, Kenny Burr 8, Marcus Robinson 8, Josh Poston 5, Trent Boyd 3, Anthony Sampson 0, Richard Blocker 0, Franchot Brown 0, Richard Glover 0