Box Score

AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team picked up a crucial Peach Belt Conference win over East Division rival Flagler College, 92-84, on Wednesday night in the Convocation Center.

It was the first ever meeting between the two institutions as fellow members of the PBC.

The Pacers were lethal from beyond the arc in the game, connecting on a season-high 15 three-pointers, which was one shy of the all-time single-game record at USC Aiken.

Head coach Vince Alexander and the Pacers snapped a three-game PBC losing streak with the win over the Saints.

Four Pacers finished with double-digit scoring efforts led by Casey McMasters' 21 points and Mark Brown's 17 points.

Brown (Charlotte, N.C. /Hickory Grove Christian) and McMasters (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin HS) showed off their scoring prowess from three-point range combining to go 9-of-13 from downtown.

Sterling Council (Camden, S.C. /Camden HS) and Re'mon Nelson (Canal Winchester, Ohio /Canal Winchester HS) were the other Pacers in double figures with 15 and 10 points respectively. Nelson also added six assists.

Flagler was coming off a season-high shooting percentage (60.8%) and scoring total (126) from their win over Trinity (Fla.) on Monday night. The Saints picked up right where they left off on Wednesday night, shooting 65.2% in the first half on 15-of-23 shooting for a 10-point lead at halftime, 43-33.

Alexander rallied his squad during the break and the Pacers responded by scorching the Convocation Center nets for a season-high 59 points over the final 20 minutes of regulation.

The 59 second-half points propelled the Pacers to the comeback victory and improved USC Aiken's all-time regular season record in the Convocation Center to 32-3.  USC Aiken now owns a 22-2 record in the Convocation Center against Peach Belt Conference opponents.

Over two-thousand fans were treated to a tremendous back and forth contest that was tied eight times and featured seven lead changes.

The most important lead change for the Pacers came with 6:25 left in the second half as a Rashad Flowers' lay-in put USC Aiken up 70-68, a lead the Pacers would push to as many as 11 points.

Seth Leonard slammed the door on Flagler's comeback efforts with a rim-rattling tomahawk jam that brought the crowd to their feet and put USC Aiken up 85-77 with 2:01 left in regulation.

The Pacers would seal the eight-point victory at the free-throw line over the final two minutes.

Leonard (York, Pa. /William Penn HS) finished with nine points, four rebounds, a pair of assists, a block and a steal in 27 minutes of work.

Jon Pietkiewicz led the Saints with 22 points while D.J. Ferguson finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points to go along with 14 assists.

USC Aiken's week will conclude next with the Pacers taking on proximity and league rival Lander for a PBC men's and women's basketball twinbill at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 23. The night will be sponsored by St. Paul Lutheran Church, which will honor its basketball teams during the evening. It will also be Millbrook Baptist Church Upward Basketball Night at the Convocation Center. Millbrook Baptist Church Upward Basketball and Cheerleading is a ministry of Millbrook Baptist Church and is open to the Aiken Community.

Local favorite Burns Dance Studio will be performing for all those in attendance as well.

For those unable to make it to any of the game on the week as always the USC Aiken Sports Information Department has you covered. Live stats and a live webcast will be available for Pacer fans who are unable to attend the games. 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.