Box Score

MORROW, Ga. - Despite a career-high 30 points from Byron Faison and an early second-half rally, the USC Aiken men's basketball team fell 90-74 to Clayton State in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action on Saturday evening at the Athletics and Fitness Center.

Down by as many as 18 points in the first half and down by as many as 15 points in the early minutes of the second half, USC Aiken battled back to take the lead. A Faison three-pointer from the right corner earned USC Aiken a 60-57 lead with just over nine minutes left in the game.

Clayton State would take things back over from there with a 17-0 run by the Lakers after USC Aiken's early second half spurt negating USC Aiken's advances in the second half. The Lakers held a 74-60 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the game. They would hold on from there, emerging with the 16-point victory.

The loss drops the Pacers to 9-5 overall. USC Aiken is now 4-3 in Peach Belt Conference action. Clayton State improves to 9-6 overall with the victory over the Pacers. Clayton State is now 2-3 in the PBC in the 2009-10 season.

Faison was an incredible 11-for-20 from the field in the loss to the Lakers. He was 8-for-14 from beyond the arc. He was the only Pacer to score in double figures in the game. Faison has now scored in double figures in 11 of USC Aiken's 14 games in the 2009-10 campaign.

Michael Technow (Boca Raton, Fla./American) almost secured his fourth double-digit rebound total of the 2009-10 season in the game, collecting nine rebounds in the game.

Clayton State had four players record 18 or more points in the win over the Pacers. Robert Murry was the top scorer for the Lakers with 22 points. He was 12-for-14 from the free throw line in the game. Timothy Downs scored a career-best 20 points in the contest, hitting on 10 of his 11 free throw attempts in the game. Jaquas Dobbs and Brandon Robinson were the final Lakers in double figures with both scoring 18.

Both teams concluded the game shooting over 40 percent with the Pacers ending the contest hitting on 41.9 percent of their shots in the game. The Pacers were able to get back in the game behind a 54.5 percent shooting performance in the second half. Clayton State shot 43.3 percent as a team in the game.

USC Aiken now has one day off before turning back around to head into Georgia once again on Monday, Jan. 18 for a Peach Belt Conference men's and women's basketball doubleheader against North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga.

The Pacer women and the North Georgia women will kick things off at 5:30 p.m. The USC Aiken men and the Saint men will then take the hardwood against one another immediately following the women's game at approximately 7:30 p.m. The North Georgia sports information department will provide live stats and a free live webcast. The live stats and webcast can be accessed for free by clicking on the live stats link and the video link at www.pacersports.com.