AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team held a lead for much of the game but came up just short against Flagler Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 6-9 on the year and 1-5 against league foes. The Saints improve to 6-7 overall and 2-4 against conference competition.

The Pacers were led by Kassy Johannsen's game-high 16 points and game-best six blocks. She also snagged six rebounds in the contest. Stephanie Ball totaled 11 points and a game-high six assists while Mariah Durian came off the bench to net 10 points. 

Jasmine Coach pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. 

Head coach Mike Brandt's team fell behind 4-2 early on before the home squad reeled off an 8-0 run. During the spurt, Katelyn Grisillo netted a pair of charity tosses. Stephanie Ball found Johannsen for a lay-up and a 6-4 edge. On the ensuing possession, Ball passed the rock to Durian, who drained a jumper in transition. Ball completed the run after converting a pass from Kate Duff for a lay-up.

USC Aiken increased its lead to seven with 3:28 to play in the quarter on a deep three-point bucket by Ball. A shot from downtown by rookie Aubrey Lukackso pushed the margin to eight with 2:08 to play, but neither team could score the rest of the period, allowing the Pacers to take a 16-8 lead into the second frame.

The Saints pulled within two on a pair of free throws at the 5:35 mark, but Durian connected on a mid-range jumper for a 26-22 score with 3:34 to go. Durian canned another shot for a six-point edge, but the visitors managed to cut the deficit to three just before intermission. 

In the third quarter, the Saints tied the game at 33-33 at the 8:19 mark and it was the first of four ties in the quarter. USC Aiken never lost the lead in the stanza and headed into the fourth frame with a two-point advantage after Ball drilled a jumper with 11 seconds to go.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair. The Pacers either held the lead or were tied until the Saints took a two-point lead with 1:40 to go. However, Ball sliced through the defense and knotted the game at 61-61 with 1:12 to play.

The visitors scored four straight points, but Alexis Ware connected on her third three-point attempt of the game, cutting the deficit to one with six seconds left on the clock. USC Aiken was forced to foul and the Saints hit both free throws, building a three-point edge. The home squad managed to get the ball to the frontcourt but the stiff defense by Flagler allowed the visitors to come away with the three-point win.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 24-of-50 shots from the floor (48 percent) while the Saints canned 44.2 percent of their attempts. The squad hit five-of-15 three-point shots (33.3 percent), but made 11-of-12 attempts from the charity stripe. 

Brandt's team held a 32-28 advantage on the glass and dished out 17 assists compared to nine by the visitors. Flagler totaled 28 points in the paint compared to 18 by USC Aiken. Brandt's team outscored the visitors 26-18 off the bench.

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