AMERICUS, Ga. – Behind 27 points from Byron Faison the 13^th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team held off a strong effort from Georgia Southwestern in a 75-72 overtime victory over the Hurricanes in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action on Monday evening at the Storm Dome.

The victory was USC Aiken's third straight win, leaving the Pacers with a 9-2 (3-1 PBC) record. Georgia Southwestern with the loss dropped to 6-3 (0-1 PBC).

The overtime win marked USC Aiken's first overtime victory since besting Life 87-85 in the 2009-10 regular season opener on Nov. 18, 2009.

USC Aiken scored the first two points of the game, but the 2-0 lead would prove to be USC Aiken's only lead of the first half of action with Georgia Southwestern going up by as many as seven in the first half.

The first half would end with USC Aiken trailing Georgia Southwestern, 37-33. The Pacers shot 58 percent in the first half of play, but they also turned the ball over nine times in the first half. Georgia Southwestern shot 50 percent as a team in the first half, while turning over the basketball just once.

USC Aiken opened the second half to the tune of an 8-3 run that earned USC Aiken the lead once again at 41-40 with 16:07 remaining in regulation.

A few minutes later, a four-point play on a three-pointer and ensuing free throw by Faison (Sumter, S.C./Crestwood) had pulled the Pacers ahead by six at 50-44 with 10:01 left in the game. From there, the Pacer lead dissolved over the next six minutes with Georgia Southwestern leading the Pacers 58-57 with 4:02 left in the game.

A little while later after one free throw by Georgia Southwestern to set the score at 59-57 in their favor, USC Aiken's Kevin Willis (Atlanta, Ga./Kaskaskia) put in an easy lay-up off an assist from Re'mon Nelson (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) to even the game at 59-59 with 2:23 left in the contest.

Georgia Southwestern's Bobby Glover knocked down a three-pointer on their next possession to earn the Hurricanes a three-point lead at 62-59. The Pacers would score the next three points in the game to tie the game at 62-62 after a Michael Technow (Boca Raton, Fla./American) lay-up with 49 seconds left on the game clock.

Glover would then hit his second consecutive three-pointer with just three seconds left on the shot clock and 19 seconds left on the game clock to give the Hurricanes a 65-62 lead.

Faison and the Pacers were up to the task with Faison nailing a trey and tying the game at 65-65 on USC Aiken's next possession.

Georgia Southwestern's Glover then missed a shot at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.

The two teams played close the entire overtime frame, but the Pacers were able to outscore the Hurricanes 10-7 in the extra period to emerge with the three-point win.

Willis scored seven of USC Aiken's ten points in overtime.

Faison was one of three Pacers in double figures. He was 9-for-13 from the field in collecting the 27 points. He hit six three-pointers, including the tying three-pointer at the end of regulation.

Willis had 13 points and seven rebounds in the game, while Technow missed just two shots on the evening (7-for-9) in collecting 14 points and seven rebounds.

USC Aiken as a team shot 50.9 percent (28-for-55). Georgia Southwestern shot 41.7 percent (25-for-60).

Trayce Macon led four Hurricanes in double figures with a game-high tying 27 points. Phillip Brown had a double-double in the game for the Hurricanes with 19 points and ten rebounds.

Nationally-ranked USC Aiken will next welcome league foe UNC Pembroke to the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5. The night will be Security Federal Bank and Veracity Payment Solutions Night at the Convocation Center.

The game will be able to be followed live on USC Aiken's official athletic website at www.PacerSports.com.