AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team claimed its second consecutive Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship outright with a 56-50 victory over rival Augusta State on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center.

The back-to-back league regular-season championships are the first in program history. The USC Aiken men's basketball program now has four Peach Belt Conference regular-season crowns in its history (1992-93, 2007-08, 2011-12 and 2012-13).

In addition to claiming its second straight league crown, USC Aiken (19-6, 15-3) was also able to sweep the regular-season series from Augusta State (13-12, 8-10 PBC) for the first time since the 1997-98 season. The Pacers also bested the Jaguars, 76-62, on Saturday, Feb. 2 in Augusta.

The 50 points allowed in the game were the fewest points surrendered by USC Aiken on the 2012-13 season. It was also a season-low for the Jaguars.

USC Aiken and Augusta State entered the halftime break tied at 27-27.

The Pacers would pull ahead by as many as 12 in the second half before emerging with the six-point victory.

USC Aiken closed out the win over Augusta State shooting 46.5 percent (20-for-43) as a team. The Pacers shot 72.2 percent (13-for-18) from the free throw line.

Augusta State shot just 38.5 percent (15-for-39) from the field as a team in its loss to USC Aiken. The Jaguars shot 65.2 percent (15-for-23) from the free throw line as a team in the game.

The now regionally second-ranked Pacers held a commanding 34-21 rebounding advantage in the contest. 

Three Pacers finished in double figures with Santoine Butler (Augusta, Ga./Gardner-Webb) claiming his fourth double-double of the season in the game. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Butler also had three blocks and two assists.

Paul Larsen (Mooresville, N.C./Mercer) just missed on a double-double of his own in the contest with 13 points and eight rebounds. He obtained half of his caroms on the offensive glass.

The final Pacer in double figures was Ronald Zimmerman, who finished with 11 points.

The national leader in 3-pointers made, Zimmerman (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley HS), who is already USC Aiken's single-season leader in 3-pointers made, knocked down two 3-pointers in the contest to become the first Pacer in USC Aiken's NCAA Division II history to claim 100 3-pointers in a season. 

The Jaguars had three players in double figures with D'Angelo Boyce leading the way with 13 points. 

Winners of 10 of their last 11, the Peach Belt Conference regular-season champion Pacers will next close out their 2012-13 regular-season with a road game against UNC Pembroke on Saturday, March 2 in Pembroke, N.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.