Box Score GREENWOOD, S.C. – A last second shot by Nikki Arner helped
Ferris State upset the nationally 17th-ranked University
of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team, 60-58, in the
first game of the Lander Lady Bearcats Tip-Off Classic at Horne
Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The game marked USC Aiken's first ever meeting with Ferris
State.
USC Aiken opened the game by racing out to an 11-4 lead over the
first three and a half minutes. Ferris State would then go on a 7-0
run to tie the game at 11-11 with 11:49 remaining in the first
half.
From there, Ferris State would close the half on a 25-17 run to
take a 36-28 lead into the halftime break.
The Pacers commenced the second half on a 16-10 run to pull
within two at 46-44 with 9:18 remaining in the contest.
A few minutes later, Ferris State had extended its lead to eight
at 52-44 with 6:19 remaining. The Pacers would not relent though,
going on a 9-2 run that was capped off by a Daniela Tarailo
(Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) 3-pointer to pull within one at
54-53 with 2:42 remaining in the game.
USC Aiken would take its first lead of the half at 58-57 with
just 17 seconds remaining on a Hannah
DeGraffinreed fast break lay-up.
Arner would then knock down a 3-pointer in the final seconds to
give Ferris State the 60-58 win.
Three Pacers finished in double figures in the game with Tarailo
leading the way with 13 points. She picked up 12 of her 13 points
on her 4 3-pointers.
DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, N.C. /Merrimack College) finished with
11 points and five rebounds in the game. She also had four
assists.
Kayla
Harris (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) ended her day with 10 points,
three rebounds and two assists.
Tricia Principe of Ferris State led all players in the game with
15 points. She also had six rebounds.
Ferris State concluded the game shooting 42.6 percent
(23-for-54) as a team. The Pacers ended their loss shooting 36.4
percent (20-for-55).
Both teams were strong from the charity stripe with Ferris State
shooting 80 percent (8-of-10) and the Pacers shooting 71.4 percent
(10-for-14) from the free throw line.
USC Aiken will next close out the Lander Lady Bearcats Tip-Off
Classic by facing off against another first-time opponent in Barton
at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20.
