Box Score Box Score
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Kevin Willis scored a career-high 23 points and the University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team picked up an 80-76 victory over Flagler in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action at Flagler Gym on Monday evening.
The win is USC Aiken's fourth in its last five outings. The Pacers are now 13-7 on the 2009-10 season. USC Aiken is 8-5 in the Peach Belt Conference.
The loss dropped Flagler to 7-14 overall. The Saints are now 2-10 in PBC action.
The game opened with neither team really being able to obtain any early separation. The Pacers were able to own an early four-point 18-14 lead with 11:51 left in the first half behind eight quick points from Casey McMasters (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin).
The Saints would turn things in their favor for the first time after that, going on a 7-0 run to own a 21-18 lead with nine minutes left in the first stanza.
Over the next seven minutes, Flager would go on top by as many as five, but a Brandon Shephard (Indian Trail, N.C./High Point) three-pointer with 1:53 to go in the first half had pulled the Pacers back even at 33-33. Seth Leonard (York, Pa./William Penn) gave the Pacers the lead back at 34-33 just under 30 seconds later after hitting one of two free throws.
Leonard then scored the final two of his three consecutive points on a lay-up with 48 seconds left until intermission. The lay-up garnered the Pacers a three-point 36-33 lead.
Andre McFarline pulled the Saints back to within one at 36-35, but McMasters made sure that the Pacers would enter the halftime break holding that three-point advantage as he hit a jumper with three seconds left to earn USC Aiken a 38-35 lead at intermission.
USC Aiken concluded the first half shooting 39 percent (12-for-31) from the field as a team. Flagler was 14-of-28 (50 percent) from the floor as a team in the first half. The Pacers picked up a third of their field goals in the half on three-pointers. USC Aiken was 4-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half.
USC Aiken opened the second half by going on a 6-2 run over the first two minutes to own a seven-point 44-37 lead. The Saints would go a short spurt of their own over the next three minutes to even the game once again at 46-46 with 15:12 left in the game. Flagler held a 50-48 lead with under 13 minutes left in the contest.
In the see-saw affair, USC Aiken behind four straight points by Sterling Council (Camden, S.C./Camden) was ahead by two points once again at 58-56 with 8:04 remaining in the game. USC Aiken had pushed its lead to six at 68-62 a few minutes later.
The Saints would keep pushing the Pacers, pulling the game even once again at 72-72 after a three-point play by John Pietkiewicz.
The Pacers were back on top at the 2:55 mark after Kevin Willis (Atlanta, Ga./Kaskaskia College) tipped in a Shephard missed jumper. On USC Aiken's next offensive possession, Shephard knocked down one of two free throws to garner the Pacers a three-point 75-72 advantage.
Flagler's Kenny Moore kept the Saints in the contest on their next possession by slashing to the basket for two points. The basket pulled Flagler back to within one in the game at 75-74 with under two minutes remaining in the contest. After a Leonard miss, Moore then hit his second straight shot to put the Saints back on top in the contest with 1:25 left at 76-75.
Willis' 23rd point on USC Aiken's next trip offensively placed the Pacers back on top at 77-76 with under a minute left in the game.
The Saints missed a chance to seize the lead on their next offensive trip, giving the Pacers the basketball. The Pacers were fortunate enough to get the basketball into the hands of one of the best free throw shooters in the country in Council. He was fouled and promptly nailed both of his free throw attempts to leave the Pacers ahead by three at 79-76 with 21 seconds left.
Leonard then hit one of two free throws with nine seconds left to acquire the four-point 80-76 win for the Pacers.
Willis finished the win over Flagler with 23 points. He shot 80 percent (8-for-10) from the field in the contest. He was 7-for-12 from the charity stripe.
Willis came narrowly close to capturing his first double-double as he ended the contest with eight caroms.
Willis was one of five Pacers in double figures with Council (12), Leonard (11), Shephard (11) and McMasters (10) all ending the game in double digits. Council came close to a double-double of his own as he also dished out a career-best seven assists in the game.
D.J. Ferguson was once again the star for the Saints against the Pacers. He collected his second double-double of the year against the Pacers with 15 points and 10 assists.
The Pacers concluded the game shooting 47.4 percent as a team. The Saints shot a collective 44.8 percent.
USC Aiken will next play host to new league foe Montevallo at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. The contest is part of a men's and women's basketball twinbill at the Convocation Center with the Pacer women squaring off against the Montevallo women prior to the men's game at 5:30 p.m.
It will be "Pink Zone" day at the Convocation Center. For the Lady Pacers' "Pink Zone" game, all fans are asked to wear pink. USC Aiken will take $2 from each admission ticket sold and donate it to the Savannah River Cancer Foundation. There will also be special door prizes available to win throughout the Lady Pacers' game as well as the Pacers' men's game.
