FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team lost a 68-44 decision at Francis Marion Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers fall to 8-11 overall and 3-7 against league foes. The Patriots improve to 16-3 on the year and 7-3 against conference competition.

Head coach Mike Brandt's team was led by Kassy Johannsen's team-high 12 points and seven rebounds. Mariah Durian netted 10 points, grabbed five boards and dished out a pair of assists in the contest.

Kate Duff and Aubrey Lukacsko tallied seven points apiece while Carly Gilreath totaled five points and Baylea Loven chipped in two points. Lukacsko had a team-best three assists while Jasmine Coach pulled down six boards and registered a squad-high two steals.

Trailing 6-0 2:26 into the game, USC Aiken quickly countered. Johannsen netted the team's first point on her second free throw attempt at the 6:55 mark. Duff converted an old-fashioned three-point play, pulling the team within two at 6-4. Durian's jumper off a pass from Lukacsko tied the game at the 5:18 mark. The squads traded the next four points, but FMU took a 12-9 advantage with 3:00 on the clock.

Johannsen and Durian answered with back-to-back jumpers, giving the team a 13-12 lead with 1:21 to go in the quarter, but the Patriots answered with four straight points, taking a 15-13 advantage with 18 seconds remaining in the stanza.

FMU opened a six-point margin with 7:44 to play before halftime, but Gilreath canned a three-pointer and Duff twisted past the defense for a lay-up, bringing Brandt's team within one at 21-20. After Lukacsko hit a three-pointer to pull the visitors within two at 25-23, the home squad rattled off the final six points of the period for an eight-point edge at the break.

Johannsen's bucket off a pass from Duff cut the deficit to three at the 7:54 mark of the third quarter, but it was as close as USC Aiken could get the rest of the way.

The Pacers connected on 16-of-53 field goals, but managed to connect on two-of-12 three-point field goals. The squad buried 10-of-15 charity tosses (66.7 percent).

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they host Armstrong State at 5:30 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.