HICKORY, N.C. -  Kendra Chandler scored a career-high 27 points and the fifth-seeded University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers fell 101-83 to fourth-seeded Francis Marion in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional at Shuford Gymnasium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University on Friday evening.

Chandler (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) bested her original career-high of 25 points set in a loss earlier this year to Columbus State in Columbus, Ga. Chandler was 11-for-18 from the field in the game.

The Pacers had a major milestone broke in the game as Meredith Legg (Huntersville, N.C./Hopewell) became the school's all-time leader with two free throws halfway through the second half. Legg had six total points in the game to finish her career with 1,480 points. The all-time leader in three-pointers made in Peach Belt Conference history and one just 14 NCAA Division II student-athletes to knock down 300 or more three-pointers, Legg ends her time at USC Aiken with 311 career three-pointers.

Legg passed previous all-time leading scorer Jami Cornwell (1999-2003), who finished her prestigious career as a Pacer with 1,476 total points.

Senior Megan Starnes (Riley, Kan./Riley County) closed out her illustrious career at USC Aiken by scoring 20 points in the loss to Francis Marion on Friday. Starnes finishes her career with 1,072 career points.

Senior Morgan Johnson (Marietta, Ga./Presbyterian College), who is the school's all-time leader in blocks with 120 blocks after Saturday, ended her two years as a Pacer as the final USC Aiken student-athlete in double figures with 12. The first team All-Peach Belt Conference selection also had 12 rebounds to finish her season with 14 double-doubles in 2008-09.

The Patriots had five players finish in double figures led by Shannon Singleton-Bates, who had 20 points in the contest.

USC Aiken and Francis Marion both shot 47 percent in the game. Both also shot 82 percent from the charity stripe.

The Patriots started the game off running, taking an early 4-0 lead. The margin stayed the same at the time of the first media timeout at the 15:39 mark at 8-4, but four Starnes points had USC Aiken neck-and-neck with the Patriots.

The Pacers obtained their first lead of the game just over a minute later at 9-8. The Pacers scored all the points of their 5-0 run from the charity stripe.

Over the next five minutes the two teams would stay close to one another with neither able to get separation. The Patriots were able to go up by as many as eight during the time frame, but USC Aiken kept the game close.

The half would conclude with the Patriots clinging to a four-point 39-35 advantage. The Pacers kept themselves in the game due to a heavy dose of free throws.

The Pacers scored 17 of their 35 points in the first half. USC Aiken was 17-for-19 from the free throw line in the first half.  

Starnes led the Pacers in the half, hitting six free throws and knocking down three field goals from inside the arc. Chandler was just behind Starnes with 10 points in the first stanza.

The second half would open with the two teams trading baskets, but by the 13:31 mark the Patriots had extended their halftime lead to 11 points at 56-45. The largest lead of the game up to that point by either team forced USC Aiken head coach Mike Brandt to take a full time out to try and regroup his forces.

The Francis Marion lead was 13 point at 62-49 with just under 12 minutes to play in the contest after a long three-pointer from Dyer. The lead by Francis Marion had extended to 20 points at 79-59 by the third media time out of the second half at the 7:31 mark.

The game would end with the Patriots holding on to their lead to advance to the semifinals of the Southeast Regional.

The 17th-ranked Patriots advance on to play No. 19 and regional top seed Lenoir-Rhyne at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. The Bears ousted eighth-seeded Anderson 69-58 on Saturday evening.

The loss by USC Aiken concludes one its best seasons in school history at 22-12. USC Aiken's senior class concludes its time in a Pacer uniform as a part of 72 wins and three consecutive 20-win seasons. The three straight 20-win campaigns had not been accomplished at USC Aiken prior to the 2008-09 season.

The Pacers will now have to wait another year to try and claim their first NCAA Tournament victory. USC Aiken is now 0-3 all-time in NCAA Division II Tournament action. The Pacers have advanced to the national tournament in 2002, 2005 and 2009.