MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The regionally second-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team saw its 2011-12 season come to an end in a heartbreaking 73-70 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Quarterfinal loss to regional No. 7 Wingate on Saturday afternoon at BankTrust Arena on the campus of Montevallo. 

The Pacers with the loss end the year with a 21-8 record. The Peach Belt Conference regular-season champions were playing in their fourth NCAA Division II national tournament in the last five seasons.

USC Aiken is now 4-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Wingate (21-11) opened the game by racing out to a 17-9 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the first half.

USC Aiken would battle its way back into the game over the next 11 minutes, tying the game at 27-all with 4:04 to play in the first stanza.

The Pacers would then close the half on an 8-2 run to own a six-point 35-29 lead at intermission.

USC Aiken would own an eight-point 39-31 lead with 17:08 remaining in the game.

The Pacers would hold the lead until Jaime Vaughn knocked down a 3-pointer for Wingate with 9:32 to play in the game. The trey earned Wingate a 56-55 lead.

Wingate would still own the lead at 71-67 with 23 seconds remaining. Re'mon Nelson (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester HS) pulled the Pacers within one at 71-70 next with a clutch 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the contest.

Vaughn would then hit two free throws to earn Wingate a 73-70 lead with nine seconds on the game clock. 

Nelson's last-second 3-pointer fell short on USC Aiken's last offensive possession to give the Bulldogs the upset victory.

USC Aiken ended the loss to Wingate shooting 50 percent (26-for-52) as a team. Wingate shot 54.8 percent (23-for-42) as a team in its narrow win. 

Both teams hit 50 percent of their 3-point field goal attempts in the contest. Wingate hit 95.5 percent (21-for-22) of its free throw attempts in the game.

Three Pacers finished in double figures with Nelson leading the way with 20 points, five assists and three steals. 

Rick Alderman (Roanoke, Va./Concord) added 18 points, while Joel Gierbolini (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Long Island) posted 16 points to go along with nine rebounds in the game.

Wingate was led in its win by Vaughn's 22 points. He was one of three Bulldogs in double figures.