AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team lost a 55-44 decision to visiting Young Harris Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference contest. 

The Pacers are now 8-13 overall and 3-9 against conference competition. The Mountain Lions are 9-10 on the year and 4-8 against league foes.

Head coach Mike Brandt's team was led by Alexis Ware's 13 points. Kassy Johannsen tallied nine points, eight rebounds and a game-best five blocks. Jasmine Coach chipped in six markers in the loss.

The game, tightly contested throughout, was a back-and-forth affair from the get-go. Trailing 4-2, Johannsen connected on a mid-range jumper at the 6:33 mark of the opening stanza at 4-4. Two minutes later, Johannsen took a pass from Stephanie Ball and hammered home a shot for the game's third tie. USC Aiken took its first lead when Durian drilled a jumper at the 2:01 mark for a 10-8 advantage. However, the Mountain Lions were able to snag a 13-10 lead heading into the second quarter.

After YHC took a 15-10 advantage 1:19 into the second stanza, head coach Mike Brandt's team managed to slowly trim the deficit. A three-pointer with 4:50 to play before half pulled the Pacers within one at 17-16. Alex Ware nailed a three-pointer at the 3:39 mark for a 19-17 margin. She added the next three points of the game for a 22-17 score, but the Mountain Lions pulled within two with a three-pointer with 10 seconds to go before halftime. Aubrey Lukacsko pushed the ball down the court and was fouled trying an 18-foot runner with one second to play. She calmly sank both charity tosses for a 24-20 lead at the break.

In the third frame, Brandt's squad jumped out to a 29-25 advantage on a three-pointer by Coach at the 6:47 mark. The squad maintained a five-point edge after Katelyn Grisillo nailed a deep two-pointer with the clock winding down at 33-28. However, the visitors embarked on a 10-2 run for a 38-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

USC Aiken tied the game at 38-38 on a shot by Ware, but YHC went on an 8-2 spurt, taking a 46-40 advantage at the 4:53 mark. The home squad pulled within two at 46-44 after a shot from downtown by Ware, but it was as close as it could get the rest of the way.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 16-of-53 shots from the floor (30.2 percent) while the visitors hit 18-of-53 (34 percent). The biggest difference was points in the paint, which YHC totaled 14 compared to two by the home squad. Brandt's team forced 20 turnovers, turning the miscues into 15 points. 

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they travel to UNC Pembroke. Game-time is slated for 5:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.