Box Score

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Catherine Cain scored a game-high 22 points and the USC Aiken women's basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 64-60 victory over Armstrong Atlantic State in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena.

The victory was USC Aiken's first Peach Belt Conference win of the year, improving the Pacers to 1-3 in the PBC. USC Aiken is now 6-7 overall. The loss was the first of the year in league play for the Pirates, who are now 2-1 in PBC action. Armstrong Atlantic is 5-6 overall on the year after the loss.

Deandra Schirmer (Holton, Kan. /Cloud County CC) was scoreless in USC Aiken's narrow loss to UNC Pembroke earlier this week, but she made up for it in the first 10 minutes of Saturday's contest with Armstrong Atlantic State. Schirmer, who procured a career-high 14 rebounds in the UNCP loss, opened the game with Armstrong Atlantic State by acquiring seven of USC Aiken's first 15 points to leave the Pacers behind just three at 18-15 with 10:06 remaining in the first half.

Down the stretch of the half, the Pacers would still be behind that same three points after two free throws from local product Kendra Chandler (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) with 1:29 left in the first half of play.

The Pirates would close the first half by going on a 4-0 run to hold a seven-point 35-28 lead at intermission.

The Pacers shot a combined a 35.5 percent (11-for-31) from the field in the first half. Armstrong Atlantic finished the first half shooting 44.4 percent (12-of-27) as a team.

The Pacers opened the second half by going on a 26-15 run. The Pacer run from the outset of the second half earned the Pacers a four-point 54-50 lead with 7:45 left in regulation.

Just over four minutes later after a Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, N.C./Merrimack College) lay-up the Pacers were up by six points at 58-52.

Armstrong Atlantic would be able to cut the Pacer lead to three at 58-55 on a three-pointer by Portia Jones with 2:47 left in the contest. Chandler then hit a lay-up with 1:43 remaining to push the Pacer lead back to five points at 60-55.

USC Aiken would hold on down the stretch to pick up the four-point victory over the Pirates. The Pacers outscored the Pirates 36-25 in the second half.

The Pacers finished the contest shooting 38.3 percent (23-for-60). Armstrong Atlantic State hit three less field goals to end the contest hitting on 38.5 percent (20-for-52) of their shots.

Cain (Dayton, Ohio/Ohio University) was 7-for-9 from the field on Saturday afternoon. She was a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. Her 22 points in the contest marked the second time in the 2009-10 season that she had acquired 20 or more points in a game. She also had 25 in USC Aiken's narrow loss to NCAA Division I Winthrop.

Including Cain, three Pacers finished with double figures in the win over AASU. Schirmer ended her efforts in the victory with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Chandler chipped in with 10 points of her own to go along with her eight boards.

The Pirates had two players net double figures with Jones scoring a team-high 15 points. Arpine Amirkhanyan added 14 for the Pirates in their loss.

USC Aiken's week concludes tomorrow (Sunday, Jan. 10) with Columbus State visiting the Convocation Center for a doubleheader. The Pacer women and Columbus State women will begin the twinbill with a 2:30 p.m. contest. The USC Aiken men and the Columbus State men will then close the afternoon out by playing the second game of the doubleheader at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The USC Aiken-Columbus State doubleheader will be Cedar Creek West Day at the Convocation Center. The USC Aiken athletic department will also honor its spring student-athletes during the twinbill. During the men's game as always there will be the Burger King Breakfast Shot for a Car where one fan will have the opportunity to take a shot for a free car!

For those unable to make it to the games 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 game. 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.