Box Score FLORENCE, S.C. - Kingsley Oguchi became the seventh member of the USC Aiken 1,000-point club in No. 9 USC Aiken's 74-63 Peach Belt Conference victory over Francis Marion on Wednesday evening at the Smith University Center.

Oguchi entered the game needing just four points to join the prestigious club. He finished with 12 in the win over the Patriots to currently have 1,008 points in his prolific career.

From nearby Hemingway, S.C., Josh Dollard (Hemingway, S.C./Auburn) made it a happy homecoming for himself, leading the Pacers with 19 points. He also had a team-best eight rebounds.

The duo were two of five Pacers in double figures. Cordaryl Ballard (Westerville, Ohio/Morehead State) and Javonte Clanton (Columbus, Ohio/Blinn) both finished the game with 10, while Chris Commons (Toledo, Ohio/Findlay) ended the game with 13 points. 

Commons needed just 11 points to move into the top five in school history in total points. His 13 points in the win over Francis Marion leave him with 1,041 career points, helping him surpass Sean Gunn (1,039 - 1990-93).

Francis Marion was led in its loss by Kevin Clark, who had a team-best 15 points.

USC Aiken's victory on Wednesday ensured that the Pacers would remain in first place in the Peach Belt Conference. The Pacers are now 11-2 in PBC action and 16-4 overall. 

The game opened with the Pacers pulling out to an early nine-point lead at 16-7 with just under 13 minutes left in the first half. The Patriots would cut the lead back to single digits, but the Pacers would continue to extend their lead over the rest of the half.

USC Aiken was up by 12 points at 34-22 with under two minutes to play. The lead was 14 points shortly thereafter as Oguchi's driving lay-up with 44 seconds forced Francis Marion to take a time out to make sure that the Pacer lead was not too much for them to overcome after halftime.

The strategy somewhat worked as FMU was able to hit a lay-up with under 20 seconds left. The Pacers nevertheless went into halftime up by 14 as Oguchi was fouled with three seconds left. Oguchi hit the two free throws to help USC Aiken own a 38-24 lead at intermission.

The Pacers finished the first stanza shooting 41.9 percent. They held the Patriots to just 33.3 percent from the field in the first half. 

USC Aiken opened the second half by extending its 14 point lead to 18 points (43-25) by the 18-minute mark of the second half. The Pacers got close to pushing the lead past 20 points over the next couple of minutes, but the Patriots went on a 14-8 run over the next four minutes to cut the Pacer lead to 12 points at 51-39 with just under 13:30 to play.

By the eight-minute mark the Pacer advantage had been cut down four more points to eight with the Pacers clinging to a 59-51 lead with 7:42 left in the game. 

That would prove to be as close as the Patriots would be able to get to the Pacers as USC Aiken pulled away for its fourth consecutive victory.

The Pacers return to action at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 for a Peach Belt Conference game against North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga.

The game is the second game of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader with the No. 23 USC Aiken women scheduled to take on the North Georgia women prior to the start of the men's game. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. for the women's contest.