AIKEN, S.C. – Behind a balanced attack the nationally 17^th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team opened its 2011-12 regular season with a dominating 55-32 victory over Georgia College at the Convocation Center on Tuesday evening.

The Pacers were never really troubled in the contest with Georgia College owning its largest lead of the game at 4-1 with 16:56 remaining in the first half.

The two teams would battle back and forth over the next few minutes before USC Aiken took an 11-10 lead with 10:41 left in the first half of action. From there, the Pacers would close the half on a 21-10 run to take a 32-20 lead at intermission.

Neither team produced tons of offense in the second half with USC Aiken out-scoring the Bobcats, 23-12.

USC Aiken finished its season-opening win shooting 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the field. The Pacers shot a scorching 53.6 percent (15-for-28) in the first half.

The stingy Pacer defense in turn held Georgia College to just 24.6 percent (14-for-57) shooting in the game.

The Pacers out-rebounded Georgia College, 50-33.

USC Aiken (1-0) was led by Porsha Martin (Douglasville, Ga./South Paulding) in the game. Martin collected a career-best 11 points and seven rebounds in the contest. She was 5-for-11 from the floor in the Pacer victory.

Newcomer Brittany Hill (Mechanicsville, Va./Quinnipiac) was the only other Pacer in double figures in the Pacer win. Hill put together quite an opening game performance as she finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Kayla Harris (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) just missed on a double-double in the contest, ending her evening with 11 boards. The reigning Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year posted eight points in the Pacer victory.

Shanteona Keys led Georgia College (1-1) in its loss with a game-high tying 11 points.

USC Aiken will next hit the road to play in Lander's Lady Bearcats Tip-Off Classic in Greenwood, S.C. for the second consecutive season. The Pacers will open the event against first-time foe Ferris State at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. USC Aiken will then face off against another first-time opponent in Barton, who advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional by besting Georgia College, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20.