AMERICUS, Ga. – In a battle of league unbeatens, the University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team remained perfect in Peach Belt Conference play with a 67-64 road win over Georgia Southwestern on Thursday evening at the Storm Dome.

The game started with neither team really able to claim any separation over the first 10 minutes with the score knotted at 14-14.

USC Aiken (7-3, 3-0 PBC) would then go on a short 6-3 run over the next two and a half minutes to go ahead by three at 20-17.

The two teams would enter intermission with the game tied at 30-30.

USC Aiken closed out the first half shooting 44.4 percent (12-for-27) as a team. Georgia Southwestern (6-4, 2-1 PBC) shot 55 percent (11-for-20) from the field as a team in the first stanza.

Seven different Pacers scored in the first half with Paul Larsen leading the way with eight points.

With just over 10 minutes to play in the second half, Georgia Southwestern owned a narrow one-point lead over USC Aiken at 46-45.

Behind a 3-pointer by Santoine Butler (Augusta, Ga./Gardner-Webb) and two consecutive treys by Kinley Branch (Stone Mountain, Ga./Arkansas State) the Pacers were able to go on a quick 9-0 run to take a 54-46 advantage with 8:51 to play in the second half.

Georgia Southwestern would then battle its way back into the contest and the game would be tied at 59-all with 4:17 left in the second stanza.

USC Aiken would then go on 8-2 run to pull ahead by six points at 67-61 with 2:43 left in the contest.

The Pacers would be held scoreless the rest of the way, but Jamon Hawkins' 3-point attempt at the buzzer for Georgia Southwestern to send the game into overtime would fall short to allow USC Aiken to secure the three-point win.

In total, USC Aiken held Georgia Southwestern without a field goal for the final 5:18 of the game. Georgia Southwestern's final eight points of the game would come at the free throw line.

USC Aiken concluded the victory over Georgia Southwestern shooting 48 percent (24-for-50) as a team. Georgia Southwestern closed out its loss to the Pacers shooting 40.4 percent (21-for-52) as a team.

Eight different Pacers scored in the victory over Georgia Southwestern. Three Pacers finished in double figures with Butler and Re'mon Nelson (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester HS) leading the way with 15 points each. Butler also had four rebounds, while Nelson had three assists.

Larsen (Mooresville, N.C./Mercer) was the final Pacer in double-digits with 12 points. He just missed on a double-double as he also had nine rebounds.

Hawkins led three Hurricanes in double figures with a game-high 24 points.

Georgia Southwestern was the first of seven straight Peach Belt Conference West Division foes for the Pacers.

USC Aiken will next stay in the Peach State for a Peach Belt Conference contest against Columbus State in Columbus, Ga. on Saturday, Jan. 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.