Box Score

AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers nearly pulled off an upset over No. 18 Francis Marion on Wednesday night in the Convocation Center before falling 79-77 to the Patriots.

After battling for nearly forty minutes, the game was settled on the last possession for USC Aiken as the Pacers were unable to get an open shot as time expired.

The back-and-forth game was tied eight times, the lead changed hands five times and both teams acquired double-digit leads on one another before the two-point conclusion. Francis Marion led by as many as 11 points, while USC Aiken garnered a 12- point advantage at one point in the contest.

The contest was part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Night at the Convocation Center, as door prizes were handed out to the fist 100 spectators. Over 1,400 Pacer fans were in attendance for the matchup against Francis Marion.

Four Pacers finished with double-figure scoring totals including Catherine Cain (Dayton, Ohio /Ohio University), who tied for the game-high with 18 points and five rebounds. Francis Marion's Shana Franks also finished with 18 points.

Kendra Chandler (Aiken, S.C. /Aiken HS) finished with 16 points while Nakia Pinkney (Orangeburg, S.C. /Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS) added 14 points and Lindsay Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn. /E.O. Smith HS) scored 11 points as the final Pacer to finish in double-figures.

USC Aiken matched the high-scoring Patriot offense right from the start of the contest, shooting 16-of-27 from the floor in the opening twenty minutes to take a 39-37 lead at halftime.

Francis Marion kept the game within reach during the first half with a 16-of-35 shooting performance.

Both teams spent plenty of time getting points in the paint as the Patriots scored 30 points in the paint, while the Pacers amassed 32.

USC Aiken will now hit the road for a two-game road trip beginning on Jan. 16 against Clayton State before traveling to North Georgia two days later.