Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – In a game in which the lead changed eight times the University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team was unable to best visiting Clayton State in a 67-62 Peach Belt Conference loss to the Lakers on Saturday afternoon.
The loss to Clayton State is USC Aiken's fourth straight. The Pacers are now 9-6 (3-5 PBC) on the 2010-11 season. Clayton State improved to 12-3 (3-1 PBC) via the win over USC Aiken.
The Pacers entered intermission clinging to a five point lead at 30-25. USC Aiken was ahead by as many as eight points in the first half of play.
The tide changed in the second half of action with Clayton State rushing out to an eight-point 56-48 advantage with just under six minutes to play in regulation.
USC Aiken would outscore Clayton State 10-4 down the stretch, tying the game at 58-58 after a Byron Faison (Sumter, S.C./Crestwood) three-pointer with 1:59 remaining in regulation.
The Faison trey would prove to be the final bucket for either team in regulation with both unable to hit a shot in the closing two minutes of the second half. USC Aiken had a chance for the last shot, but Re'mon Nelson (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) had his shot blocked to send the game into the extra frame.
In the overtime period, Clayton State outscored the Pacers 9-4 to garner the five-point victory.
Faison led a trio of Pacers in double figures in the loss to Clayton State. He ended his day with 18 points, which included three 3-pointers. He was 7-for-12 from the field in the game.
Alvin Brown (Fort Washington, Md./James Madison) came close to acquiring a triple-double for the Pacers in the loss with 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Kevin Willis (Atlanta, Ga./Kaskaskia) was the final Pacer in double-digits, finishing with 11 points. He had five boards.
Timmy Downs guided the Clayton State charge with a game-high 28 points. He was 9-for-24 from the floor in the Laker win.
USC Aiken as a team concluded the loss to Clayton State shooting 31.7 percent (20-for-63). The Lakers were 21-for-58 (36.2 percent) from the field in the contest.
The USC Aiken athletic department in a cooperative effort with the women's basketball team will hold its second annual "Black Out - Fight for Sight Night" as part of the men's and women's basketball doubleheader against North Georgia on Monday, Jan. 17.
The special evening will be held in honor of USC Aiken all-time leading women's basketball scorer Meredith Legg.
Just weeks after finishing her illustrious Pacer career, Legg was diagnosed with a rare form of Melanoma eye cancer in her left eye.
To help raise funds and awareness for Melanoma Research, the USC Aiken athletic department is asking everyone to wear black to the doubleheader. Black is the official color of Melanoma cancer.
All proceeds on the evening will go towards Melanoma Research.
The evening gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 17 with the 18th-ranked USC Aiken women tangling with Peach Belt Conference rival North Georgia. The Pacer men will hit the hardwood against the North Georgia men immediately following the women's game at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The special doubleheader will also be Uni-Health Post Acute Care and Carolina Musculoskeletal Institute (CMI) night at the Convocation Center.
Both games of the doubleheader will be able to be followed live on USC Aiken's official athletic website at www.PacerSports.com.
