Box Score

AIKEN, S.C. - A blocked three-point attempt by USC Aiken's Kevin Willis with nine seconds left helped preserve his team's 65-60 win over the University of Montevallo for the 2010 Marvin Vanover PBC Tournament Championship, sponsored by GEICO. 

USC Aiken improves to 19-10 and gets the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while the Falcons drop to 23-7, and await the announcement of the at-large selections tonight at 9:30 p.m.

The Pacers were playing in their third-straight PBC Tournament Championship in the three years it has been held at the USCA Convocation Center, but had yet to bring home the trophy. PBC Tournament MVP Byron Faison had a team-high 19 points, including three three-pointers, and All-Tournament Team selection Willis added a double-double with 18 points and 10 caroms. 

All-Tournament Team choices Freddy Little and Tauras Dortch had 20 and 10 points, respectively. Cecil Coleman added 11 points and six boards, while Jordan Hutchison put in 12, all in the first half, and all on threes. Little's 20 points came after being held scoreless in the first half.

The home squad had a slight 36-31 advantage at the half, as neither team had trouble finding the range. The Pacers reached the mid-way point on 64 percent (16-25) shooting, while Montevallo did them one better at 65 percent (13-20). The eight halftime turnovers by the Falcons helped create the five-point USCA advantage. 

The Falcons' hot shooting cooled off considerably in the second frame, hitting just nine field goals for 35 percent from the floor. The Pacers stretched out their halftime advantage as large as 17 at 54-37 with 8:13 remaining. 

That's when Montevallo began playing its signature run-and-gun style, trimming the lead to three with a 26-6 run over the next 7:01, capped by a Little three at the 1:12 mark for a 63-60 score. After the Pacers missed a shot and Gerald January cleared the rebound, the Falcons missed a game-tying three, then fouled Willis who missed the first shot to keep the game at three.

Little went screaming down the left sideline, tried to crack another game-tying attempt from the corner, but Willis used all of his 6-foot-8 frame to knock the shot awry from behind. The rebound was cleared to Re'mon Nelson for an uncontested lay-up and the 65-60 final.

Peach Belt Conference All-Tournament Team 

Timothy Downs, Clayton State 

Ben Madgen, Augusta State 

Tauras Dortch, Montevallo 

Freddy Little, Montevallo 

Kevin Willis, USC Aiken

Tournament MVP - Byron Faison, USC Aiken