FLORENCE, S.C. – Behind a double-double from Kayla Harris, the nationally third-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team picked up a 74-55 Peach Belt Conference road victory over Francis Marion on Monday evening at the Smith University Center.

The win allowed USC Aiken to improve to a perfect 8-0 (2-0 PBC) on the 2012-13 season. The 8-0 start ties the 1990-91 USC Aiken women's basketball team for the best start in program history.

Francis Marion (5-3, 0-2 PBC) opened the game by taking a 10-5 lead through the first six minutes of the contest. The lead would not last long with USC Aiken going on an 11-2 run over the next almost four minutes to take the lead at 16-12.

Francis Marion would then go on a run of its own to take a five-point lead at 28-23 with 3:38 to play in the first half.

USC Aiken would not be deterred, going on an 8-3 run to close the half that was punctuated by a Mia Antoine long-range jumper that tied the game at 31-31 just before the final buzzer of the first half.

The second half would be all Pacers.

The Pacers opened the second half by taking the lead back at 34-31 after a Kayla Harris three-point play.

The three-point play by Harris to commence the stanza would be the beginning of a first 3:15 of the second half that saw USC Aiken go on an 11-2 run to take a nine-point 42-33 lead with 16:45 to play in the half.

The Pacers would continue to extend their lead over the next nine minutes with USC Aiken owning an 18-point advantage at 58-40 with just over seven minutes to play in the contest.

USC Aiken would eventually outscore Francis Marion, 43-24, in the second half in claiming the 19-point victory over the Patriots.

Harris (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield HS) finished the Pacer win with 26 points and a career-high tying 13 rebounds. She also had four assists. Harris was 12-for-21 from the field in the game.

Four Pacers in total concluded their efforts in double figures with Daniela Tarailo (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS) finishing just behind Harris with 16 points.

Mackenzie Reese (Madison, Wis./Edgewood HS) concluded the Pacer win with 12 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Antoine (Stone Mountain, Ga./Dominion Christian HS) was the final Pacer in double figures with 10 points.

Brittany Hill (Mechanicsville, Va./Quinnipiac) finished the Pacer win with a game-high six assists.

Jasmine Williams-Hayes led two Patriots in double figures with 12 points.

As a team, USC Aiken ended the win over Francis Marion shooting 47.6 percent (30-for-63) from the floor. The Pacers shot 51.5 percent (17-for-33) in the second stanza.

Francis Marion closed out the loss to the Pacers shooting 41.5 percent (22-for-53) as a team.

The Pacers shot 76.9 percent (10-for-13) from the free throw line in the game. Francis Marion connected on just 45.5 percent (10-of-22) of its free throw attempts in the contest.

USC Aiken will next play host to Anderson (7-3) at the Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The Pacers welcome Anderson to the Convocation Center in the midst of a school-record 23-game regular-season home winning streak.