ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team dropped its first game of the 2011-12 season in a 70-66 road loss to Elizabeth City State in non-conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at the RL Vaughan Center.

The game marked the first ever meeting between the two schools. USC Aiken and Elizabeth City State will meet once again this season in USC Aiken's first game of the 2011 Southeastern Tool-Don Cheeks-Dr. John Riley USC Aiken Pre-Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center on Friday, Dec. 16. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m.

USC Aiken (1-1) commenced the game on Saturday by rushing out to an early 7-0 lead over the first two minutes.

Elizabeth City State (2-1) would take its first lead of the game a few minutes later at 12-11. A Maurice Hubbard (Centreville,Va./Ball State) free throw shot would tie the game at 12-12 with 14:29 remaining in the first stanza.

From there, Elizabeth City State would close the half on a 22-16 run to take a six-point 34-28 lead into intermission.

The Pacers opened the second half on a 7-1 run to tie the game at 35-35 with 17:14 left in the contest.

The two teams would battle back and forth over the next 10 minutes, but USC Aiken was able to take its first lead of the half at 53-52 after two Sterling Council (Camden, S.C./Camden) free throws with 7:10 remaining.

That would be as close as the Pacers would be able to get with Elizabeth City State holding off the Pacers for the four-point win.

USC Aiken outscored Elizabeth City State, 38-36, in the second half.

Council led all players in the game with 19 points. Council was 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the game. He was 5-of-12 from the field.

Council was one of three Pacers in double figures in total.

Jeremiah Pojah (Houston, Texas/East Texas Baptist) finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while Jesse Seilern (Innsbruck, Austria/Kapfenberg) ended his day with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Glenn Patterson and Quintin Spady were the top scorers for Elizabeth City State in the game with each finishing with 11 points.

USC Aiken finished its loss on Saturday shooting 44.2 percent (23-of-52). Elizabeth City State shot 48.9 percent (22-for-45) as a team.

The Pacers will next stay on the road for a game with Mars Hill in Mars Hill, N.C. at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The Pacers and the Lions have met on the hardwood 13 times before with USC Aiken owning a 12-1 all-time series advantage. USC Aiken bested Mars Hill 101-86 last year at the Convocation Center on Dec. 30, 2010.