Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C.--USC Aiken opened the game by hitting nine of its first 10 shots from the field, including five-of-five from beyond the three-point arch, and led 35-25 before USC Upstate used a 37-14 run to take a 13-point lead and won 78-67 at the G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, S.C. The Pacers (6-17, 2-11 PBC) were led by a game-high and career-high 20 points from Richard Blocker. Jay Free led the Spartans (17-6, 9-3 PBC) with 17 points.

An Arnold Coates jumper with 11:32 to go in the first half marked the Pacers ninth basket in their first 10 attempts from the field and put USCA in front by nine, 24-15. Josh Poston's three-pointer with 6:21 remaining before intermission extended the advantage to 33-23. Blocker's lay-in gave USC Aiken another 10 point lead, 35-25, with 3:38 to go before intermission. 

USC Aiken scored just two points the rest of the half and USC Upstate scored 12 points in the final 2:33 of the first half to send the teams to the locker room tied, 37-37. Free knocked down two three-pointers during the Spartans' run.

The Pacers shot 65.2 percent (15-of-23) in the first 20 minutes of play. Upstate shot 47.1 percent but made one more field goal than the Pacers, hitting on 16-of-34. USCA made six-of-10 three-point attempts in the first half.

After the break, the Spartans turned the 12-2 run into a 37-14 run. Jeremy Byrd's lay-up with 17:40 left in the game put USC Upstate in front 41-39 and marked the Spartans first lead since going ahead 6-5 with 16:52 to go in the first half. Byrd finished with 16 points and eight assists.

Erikas Kaupaitis extended the home team's advantage to nine, 50-41, with 14:53 to play. Another three-pointer by Free capped the 37-14 run and made it a 13-point lead with 10:09 to go.

The Pacers rolled off eight straight to cut the deficit to just five points, 62-57, with 8:24 remaining, but USCA would get no closer. Free's fourth trey gave USC Upstate its largest lead, 14 points, 74-60, with 2:38 showing on the clock.

USC Aiken shot 45.8 percent (11-of-24) in the second half and finished 26-of-57 for 55.3 percent. The Spartans connected on 14-of-28 (50 percent) in the second stanza and 48.4 percent (30-of-62) for the game.
USCA held a 33-31 rebounding advantage but was doomed by 28 turnovers.

Franchot Brown led the Pacers with six rebounds. Charleston Long grabbed a game-high 11 boards for Upstate to go along with eight points. All 11 Pacers scored and each finished with at least one rebound.

The Pacers will continue their two-game road trip on Saturday when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to face the University of North Florida. Tip-off between USC Aiken and the Ospreys is slatted for 4:00 p.m.

SCORING:
USC Aiken (67): Richard Blocker 20, Anthony Sampson 6, Josh Poston 6, Josh Geyer 6, Richard Glover 6, Theo Oates 5, Trent Boyd 5, Arnold Coates 4, Franchot Brown 4, Marcus Robinson 3, Kenny Burr 2 

USC Upstate (78): Jay Free 17, Jeremy Byrd 16, Erikas Kaupaitis 11, Ivica Grgurovic 9, Charleston Long 8, Luke Payne 7, Richie Stevens 6, Charlie O'Neal 4