Box Score CLINTON, S.C.--USC Aiken overcame an 18-point deficit to tie the game with 54 seconds remaining, but couldn't hold off Newberry College and lost 72-69 in the third game of the 8th Annual South Atlantic/Peach Belt Clash hosted by Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C. Richard Blocker led the Pacers (3-2) with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Michael Dease scored a team-high 14 points for the Indians (3-3).

After Franchot Brown's lay-up gave USC Aiken a 10-9 advantage almost five minutes into the game, the Pacers turned the ball over four times and missed two shots from the field as Newberry rolled off 10 unanswered to take a 19-10 lead with 11:20 left in the first half. Brown, a freshman from Washington, Ga., was one of five Pacers to score in double figures, finishing with a career best 10 points on two-of-three shooting from the field and six-of-eight from the free throw line. 

USCA turned the ball over 30 times in the game, including 16 in the first half.

Corey Etheridge's jumper with 6:19 to go in the first half accounted for two of his 10 first half points and put the Indians out in front by 10, 27-17. A 7-0 run over the final 1:41 of the half sent Newberry to the locker room with a 17-point lead, 39-22. Tyler Fisher scored five of the seven points during the run.

USC Aiken's shooting woes continued through the first half. The Pacers made just seven-of-24 shots from the field for 29.2 percent. The Indians connected on 48.3 percent (14-of-29) in the first half and turned the ball over only nine times.

Anthony Sampson's three-point play with 16:39 remaining in the game cut the Newberry lead to 11 points. Sampson converted at the free throw line after being fouled on a lay-up.

Curt Triplin's tip-in at the 14:47 mark drew the Pacers to within 10 points at 45-35. Triplin finished with 15 points and four rebounds.
A 7-1 Newberry run gave the Indians their largest lead of the game, 18 points, 58-40, with only 9:56 left in the game. The Pacers answered. Blocker's back-to-back three-pointers began an 18-4 run for USCA. Arnold Coates capped it off with a lay-up that had USC Aiken within four, 62-58, with 5:29 to go.

Blocker made four of his 15 shots from the field for the game, including three-of-12 from beyond the three-point arch, and connected on all six of his free throw attempts for his game-high 17 points. Coates finished with 10 points and freshman Josh Poston added 10 as well.

After Newberry pushed out by seven on Tymere Zimmerman's two free throws with three minutes to go, the Pacers answered again, this time with an 8-1 run to tie the game at 68 with 1:28 left to play. The two teams exchanged free throws and the game remained tied with 54 seconds showing on the clock.

Elijah Frasier's lay-up with 23 ticks left proved to be the game winner for the Indians. The Pacers' attempt to tie it up again ended when Coates was charged with an offensive foul with five seconds left in the game. Dease added a free throw and Blocker's desperation three missed as the horn sounded.

For the game, USCA made 36.4 percent (20-of-55) of its shots from the field and 27.3 percent (six-of-22) from three-point land. Newberry shot 52.2 percent for the game after connecting on nearly 60 percent of its second half shots. The Pacers held a 36-28 rebounding advantage.

USC Aiken will return home to face Catawba College on Wednesday at "The Courthouse" on the USCA campus. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

SCORING:
USC Aiken (69): Richard Blocker 17, Curt Triplin 15, Arnold Coates 10, Franchot Brown 10, Josh Poston 10, Trent Boyd 3, Anthony Sampson 3, Richard Glover 1, Theo Oates 0, Kenny Burr 0

Newberry College (72): Michael Dease 14, Corey Etheridge 12, Elijah Frasier 10, Tommy Burke 9, Eric Nwawel 9, Adam Howell 6, Tyler Fisher 5, Tymere Zimmerman 5, David Hampton 2, Mark Butler 0, Chris Johnston 0