Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken overcame a 22-point deficit but couldn't pull out a win over USC Spartanburg, falling 84-79 at "The Courthouse" tonight in a match-up of Peach Belt Conference men's basketball teams. The two teams combined for 61 fouls and 86 free throw attempts. USCA made 35-of-40 (87.5 percent) from the charity stripe while USCS hit 37-of-46 (80.4 percent) of its attempts from the free throw line.Â
Curt Triplin scored a career-high 28 points for the Pacers (9-15, 3-10 PBC) and posted his eighth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. The junior's previous top scoring game was set against this same USCS team on Jan. 7. Kevin Harrington led the Rifles with 25 points.
Petros Tsampas gave Spartanburg its second 22-point advantage of the game with a lay-up at the 17:36 mark of the second half. After two free throws by Todd Williams cut the lead to 14 with 13:30 to play, Harrington's two makes from the charity stripe with 9:59 on the clock pushed USCS back out in front by 18 points, 62-44.
The Rifles still held a 14-point advantage when USC Aiken began a 17-6 run with just six and a half minutes left to play. Nine of the 17 points during the run would come at the charity stripe, including the first two by Williams. A three-pointer by Lee Burton closed the gap to five, 72-67, with 3:05 showing on the clock. His second trey, two minutes later, put the Pacers down by just three points, 73-70, with 1:14 left in the game.
Burton committed a foul on the other end and then was charged with a technical foul. Eric Murrell made all four free throws to put USC Spartanburg in front by seven. Murrell finished with 22 points and made 14-of-17 attempts from the free throw line.
An old fashion three-point play by Bryant Latimer and a three-pointer by Triplin had the Pacers down by just two, 78-76, with 35 seconds remaining. USCS sealed the game by making all six of its free throw attempts in the final half minute.
Triplin made six-of-nine attempts from the field and all 14 of his shots from the line for his career-best 28 points. Harrington went five-for-12 from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line for Spartanburg's team-high 25 points. Williams finished with 21 points, five boards and three blocks for USCA.
The Pacers will return to action on Saturday when the host North Florida at "The Courthouse" on the USC Aiken campus. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.Â
SCORING:
USC Spartanburg (84):Â Richie Stevens 5, Kevin Harrington 25, Petros Tsampas 7, C.J. Paul 13, Eric Murrell 22, Jay Free 5, Lamario Merriweather 4, Erikas Kaupaitis 1, Charlie O'Neal 2
USC Aiken (79):Â Martynas Valaitis 5, Todd Williams 21, Minda Statkus 4, Bryant Latimer 9, Lee Burton 12, Curt Triplin 28, Leroy Williams 0, Jamall Gray 0, Trent Boyd 0, Mira Jonuska 0
