Box Score SAVANNAH, Ga.--The 20th ranked Armstrong Atlantic State Lady Pirates (17-4, 8-2 PBC) held USC Aiken (11-9, 3-6 PBC) scoreless over the final 4:09 to turn a five-point game into a 67-54 win in women's Peach Belt Conference basketball at the Alumni Center.  AASU defeated the Lady Pacers for the third time in the last 13 months and extended the Lady Pacers losing streak to three games.  
            
Leading 30-24 at the half, the Lady Pirates steadily built a 14-point lead with 8:36 to play.  Meghan Jones sank two free throws to make it 52-38, equaling the largest lead of the game for AASU.  But over the next three and a half minutes, the Lady Pacers used a 14-5 run to slice the margin to five, 57-52, with 4:50 remaining on Lana Mandic's jumper.  Mandic had three points over the run, but more importantly, pulled down five of her career-high tying eight rebounds.  She finished 6-of-13 from the field for 14 points.  
            
For the next two minutes, both teams were unable to find the basket.  USCA had five straight possessions with a chance to cut the margin to three or even two, but two missed shots and three turnovers stalled out the rally.  
             
The key play of the game occurred with 2:19 to play and the score still 57-52.  After an apparent backcourt violation on the Lady Pirates, the ball was ready to be put in play by Erica Larsen when the officials conferenced and overruled the call, awarding the ball back to AASU.  Vandy Noldon connected on a three-pointer from the left baseline to end the scoring drought and push the Lady Pirates ahead by eight, 62-54.  
  
AASU converted 5-of-8 free throw attempts in the closing minute to seal the 67-54 victory.  
  
USC Aiken opened the game on fire from the field draining seven of their first nine shots to race to a 16-8 lead with 15:21 on the clock on a Mandic trey.  USCA made three of their first four three-point attempts, but missed their final 14 of the game, including an 0-of-8 performance in the second half.  
  
A Lady Pirates defense, that forced 16 first half turnovers, held USCA to 2-of-20 shooting from the field over the final 15 minutes of the first half.  With the game tied 24-24 with 2:14 until the break, Marloes Renskers scored five-straight points as AASU took a 30-24 edge at the intermission.  Renskers finished with nine points.  
  
Benazura Serbecic led the Lady Pacers with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with 12 rebounds.  It marked her third double double in the last five games.  Larsen added eight points and Kasey Mills chipped in seven points.  Haylee Reichert did not score but came off the bench to pull down eight rebounds.  As a team, USCA out rebounded AASU 42-31, but were plagued by 28 turnovers.  
  
Tasha Washington scored a game-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field to go with seven steals.  Noldon added 13 points and Alicia Durham chipped in 12. 
  
USC Aiken returns home to host archrival Augusta State at "The Courthouse" on Wednesday, February 11 at 5:30 PM.  
  
SCORING:
USC Aiken (54): Benazura Serbecic 16, Lana Mandic 14, Erica Larsen 8, Kasey Mills 7, Gezel Virella 5, Sarah Kendrick 4
  
#20 Armstrong Atlantic State (67): Tasha Washington 17, Vandy Noldon 13, Alicia Durham 12, Marloes Renskers 9, Ramona Wright 5, Veronica Campbell 4, Kaneetha Gordon 1
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