Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (4-2) broke open a four-point game in the final five minutes of the first half en route to a 78-55 non-conference win over Virginia State (0-2) in the final game of the women's section of the 2004 ConocoPhillips Tip-Off Classic. Newcomer Eboni Speller came off the bench for a career-best 19 points. Tampa (1-1) upset #17 Augusta State (1-1) 66-61 in the afternoon's first game. 

The Lady Pacers improved to 23-2 at "The Courthouse" in non-conference contests over the past five seasons. 

Speller was 6-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 at the free throw line for 19 points to go with three rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal in 29 minutes. In the previous five games this season, the 6-0 junior from Clarksville, Tenn. has scored just five points in a total of 36 minutes. 

USCA got another quick start at home bolting to 16-6 lead on a Nola Grant fast break lay-up at 14:44. The Lady Pacers connected on six of their first seven attempts from the field. 

The Lady Trojans clawed back, however, reducing the margin to four points at 23-19 on an Erica Glasper three-pointer with 5:53 remaining until half. An 18-3 Lady Pacer run to close out the half proved to be the key run of the game. Speller scored seven straight points to ignite the decisive run as USCA claimed a 41-22 edge at the break. 

USC Aiken connected on 17-of-28 shots from the field in the opening stanza for a scorching 60.7 percent. 
In the second half, the Lady Trojans could get no closer than 15 at 44-29 following an offensive putback by Glasper with 16:19 to play. Glasper was 6-of-17 including 4-of-8 from deep for a team-high 17 points to go with six rebounds. 

Grant's jumper in the paint with 4:49 on the clock gave USCA its largest lead at 67-44 equaling the margin at the final horn. The Lady Pacers held sizable advantages in all the specialty stat categories including points in the paint (40-22), points off turnovers (26-10), second chance points (16-8), and fast break points (16-2). 

Kasey Mills scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half. The senior from Provo, Utah drained 3-of-5 from downtown to go with six rebounds. Lana Mandic added 14 points and a career-high tying four assists on 7-of-8 from the field. Grant finished with 12 points, seven boards, and three blocks in 28 minutes. 

Areyal Hall scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Virginia State while Jennifer Rhodan chipped in 11 points off the bench. 

For the game, USC Aiken shot 54.0 percent from the field and after a 5-of-13 performance from the charity stripe through the first 25 minutes, the Lady Pacers seemingly solved their free throw struggles finishing 15-of-19 over the final 15 minutes (78.9 percent). 

USC Aiken will hit the road on Wednesday, November 24 when they travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on Limestone College at 5:30 PM. 

SCORING:
Virginia State (55): Erica Glasper 17, Areyal Hall 14, Jennifer Rhodan 11, Ravin Yancey 9, Tope Ogunniyi 3, Chernise Harris 1

USC Aiken (78): Eboni Speller 19, Kasey Mills 15, Lana Mandic 14, Nola Grant 12, Benazura Serbecic 5, Katie Gebhardt 4, Jordon Thomas 4, Mindy Allee 3, Beata Szabo 2