AUGUSTA, Ga. – A second half rally by the nationally 23^rd-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team would fall just shy in a 58-53 rivalry Peach Belt Conference road loss to Augusta State on Wednesday evening at the Christenberry Fieldhouse.

Despite the loss on Wednesday evening to Augusta State (15-9, 11-5 PBC) the Pacers still own a one-game lead in the Peach Belt Conference East Division standings. USC Aiken is now 17-6 overall and 11-4 in Peach Belt Conference action.

Augusta State opened the game by racing out to a 12-4 lead with just under 14 minutes to play in the first half. A little while later with just a little over seven minutes to play in the first half of action, Augusta State had extended its lead to 23-10.

The Pacers would outscore Augusta State, 9-6, the rest of the first half to leave Augusta State with a 10-point 29-19 lead at intermission.

USC Aiken ended the first half shooting 28.6 percent (6-for-21) as a team. Augusta State knocked down 44.8 percent (13-for-29) of its shots as a squad in the first half.

The Pacers opened the second half on a 7-3 spurt to pull within six at 32-26 with 16:38 remaining in the game.

USC Aiken was down 35-28 a little while later, but a quick five-point swing pulled the Pacers to within two at 35-33. The quick run by USC Aiken materialized after a Jeremiah Pojah (Houston, Texas/East Texas Baptist) lay-up began things with 14:30 left in the game. After the lay-up, Sterling Council (Camden, S.C./Camden HS) then stole the in-bounds pass and passed it out to a wide open Ronald Zimmerman (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley HS), who pounced on the opportunity by knocking down a trey to pull the Pacers within two.

The score was knotted at 39-all with just under 10 minutes to play in the contest.

USC Aiken then took its first lead of the contest at 42-39 after a Rick Alderman (Roanoke, Va./Concord) three-point play with 9:24 to play in the game.

The Pacers' lead was made possible by a 23-10 run over the first 11 minutes of the second stanza.

USC Aiken would eventually extend its lead to seven at 46-39 with 8:24 left in the second half. USC Aiken's impressive stretch came as a result of the Pacers being able to hold Augusta State scoreless for six minutes (13:37-7:29).

The Pacer lead would not last as Augusta State would go on a 9-0 run of its own to hold a 48-46 lead with 5:03 to play in the game.

USC Aiken would hold a 53-52 lead minutes later after a Jesse Seilern (Innsbruck, Austria/Kapfenberg HS) fast-break lay-up with 2:22 left in the contest. Augusta State would take back the lead once again shortly thereafter at 56-53.

The Jaguars would be able to hold on from there in their five-point victory.

USC Aiken outscored Augusta State, 34-29, in the second half. The lead changed hands six times in the half. The score was tied four times in the second half.

The Pacers would conclude the second half shooting 46.9 percent (15-for-32) as a team. The upswing in the shooting percentage in the second stanza allowed the Pacers to end the game shooting 39.6 percent (21-for-53) as a team.

Augusta State shot 41.7 percent (20-for-48) as a team in the game.

Nine Pacers were able to score in the game, but only Alderman was able to collect double figures with 10 points. He also had five boards.

Pojah just missed on a double-double in the game for USC Aiken with 11 rebounds (five offensive) and eight points.

Harold Doby led two Jaguars in double figures with 20 points and nine rebounds.

The Pacers will next close the week at home against Lander at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. 

The game will be a part of USC Aiken's Homecoming celebration.