Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (6-2) led for all but 25 seconds in shocking top-ranked and defending 2004 NCAA Division II national champion California University of Pennsylvania (2-2) 77-68 on Friday night in the nightcap of the Aiken County Merchants Classic. It marks the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked team in its NCAA history. Senior Katie Gebhardt came off the bench to score 14 points as four Lady Pacers posted double figures. 

Augusta State, ranked 17th, defeated St. Paul's 65-46 in the opening game. 

USCA had faced the nation's number one team twice before, both coming in the 2000-01 season against Peach Belt Conference foe Columbus State. The last meeting came on March 3, 2001 for the PBC Tournament championship. After leading at the half, the Lady Pacers fell 56-38. 

Friday night, however, would be different. A determined USC Aiken team built a 43-36 half time advantage, only to see it evaporate and then trail 45-43 before countering with the game's decisive run. 

After connecting on 15-of-31 shots from the field in the opening stanza (48.4 percent), the Lady Pacers missed their first four shots from the field and committed five turnovers in first four minutes of the second half. California seized the opportunity with a 9-0 run to claim a 45-43 lead on Kim Nowakowski's jumper in the paint at 15:58. 

With momentum having swung fully in the favor of the Vulcans, USCA countered with a 12-0 run fueled by eight points from Gebhardt to surge back in front 55-45 with 11:36 on the clock. Gebhardt's lay-up knotted the game at 45-45 and ignited the run. After a Kasey Mills' bucket, Gebhardt canned back-to-back three-pointers. The 5-11 senior from Charlotte, N.C. finished 4-of-7 from the field including 2-of-3 from deep and 4-of-4 at the stripe for 14 points to go with six boards in 25 minutes. 

Eboni Speller added a trey of her own at 8:11 to give USCA its largest advantage at 60-47. Speller was a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown chipping in 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench. As a team, USC Aiken drained 7-of-12 from beyond the arc for 58.3 percent. 

Nowakowski's jumper with 2:51 remaining trimmed the margin to 72-65, but that was as close as the Vulcans would get. Benazura Serbecic converted 4-of-4 free throws to seal the 77-68 win. Serbecic was 8-of-10 from the stripe for 12 points and nine boards. 

Nola Grant was also in double figures with 15 points and six rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting. Lana Mandic added seven points and pulled down nine boards. Beata Szabo tied a career-high with six points off the bench. USCA's bench outscored California's reserves 31-17. 

USC Aiken drilled 6-of-8 shots to open the game bolting to 14-5 lead with 15:40 left until half on a Mills' three-pointer. Mills scored seven of her nine points in the first half. 

Erin Dillon canned one of her four first half triples at 9:11 to pull California within 23-20. Trailing 32-24 with 4:35 remaining, Dillon struck again keying a 12-4 Vulcan run. The 6-2 senior drained two threes and Dani Mills' jumper knotted the score at 36-36 with 1:49 to play. Dillon poured in 16 of her game-high 24 points in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting including 4-of-5 from deep. No other Vulcan player posted double figures. 

USC Aiken, however, closed the half on 7-0 run on Gebhardt's 4-of-4 at the stripe and a big three by Speller with 49.8 on the clock. 

Megan Storck scored eight points, dished out nine assists, and swiped five steals in 40 minutes for California. Sara McKinney added eight points and eight boards off the bench. 

The Lady Pacers improve to 24-2 in non-conference home games (.923) over the past five seasons. For California, it marked just the third time in five seasons under head coach Darcie Vincent that the team has had a two-game losing streak. 

USC Aiken will take on St. Paul's at 3:00 PM tomorrow in the final game of the Aiken County Merchants Classic. #17 Augusta State will face #1 California at 1:00 PM.
Newspaper Box Score
#1 California (PA) vs USC Aiken
11/26/04 7:30 PM at Aiken, S.C. (The Courthouse)

USC AIKEN 77, #1 CALIFORNIA (PA) 68

#1 CALIFORNIA (PA) (2-2)
Dillon, Erin 8-12 2-2 24; Mills, Dani 3-7 2-4 9; Nowakowski, Kim 3-8 3-4 9; McKinney, Sara 3-8 1-2 8; Storck, Megan 3-13 2-3 8; Gottuso, Lisa 3-5 2-2 8; Powers, Devon 1-4 0-0 2; Clark, Fanisha 0-0 0-0 0; Bukas, Sarah Marie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 12-17 68.

USC AIKEN (6-2)
Grant, Nola 6-13 3-7 15; Gebhardt, Katie 4-7 4-4 14; Serbecic, Benazura 2-6 8-10 12; Speller, Eboni 4-6 0-0 11; Mills, Kasey 4-8 0-0 9; Mandic, Lana 3-10 1-2 7; Szabo, Beata 2-3 2-2 6; Allee, Mindy 1-3 0-0 3; Thomas, Jordon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-56 18-25 77.

#1 California (PA).......... 36 32 - 68
USC Aiken..................... 43 34 - 77

3-point goals-California (PA) 8-17 (Dillon, Erin 6-9; Mills, Dani 1-2; McKinney, Sara 1-1; Gottuso, Lisa 0-1; Storck, Megan 0-4), USC Aiken 7-12 (Speller, Eboni 3-3; Gebhardt, Katie 2-3; Mills, Kasey 1-4; Allee, Mindy 1-1; Szabo, Beata 0-1). Fouled out--California (PA)-Gottuso, Lisa; Mills, Dani, USC Aiken-None. Rebounds-California (PA) 31 (McKinney, Sara 8), USC Aiken 37 (Serbecic, Benazura 9; Mandic, Lana 9). Assists-California (PA) 21 (Storck, Megan 9), USC Aiken 20 (Mills, Kasey 5). Total fouls-California (PA) 29, USC Aiken 17. A-520.