ATLANTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team lost a 92-79 exhibition game at Georgia State Friday evening.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team trailed 44-39 at the break and did an outstanding job throughout the game.

The Pacers converted 16 miscues into 22 points.

Sophomore Mark Matthews led USC Aiken with a team-high 16 points. He was one of five student-athletes to reach double figures in the loss.

Rookie Nenad Milenkovic notched 13 points, including 12 from downtown, while Henry Bolton III and Christian Nobles contributed 11 markers apiece. Paris Ballinger totaled 10 points.

Bolotn, Raheem Freeman and Matthews snagged a team-high six boards apiece while Nobles led USC Aiken with four assists.

Matthews connected on seven-of-13 shots from the floor.

For the game, USC Aiken buried 24-of-68 shots from the floor (35.3 percent). However, the team hit 12-of-42 from downtown (28.6 percent). The squad got to the charity stripe 24 times, connecting on 19 attempts (79.2 percent).

Jalin Barnes broke the scoreless tie with a three-ball 57 seconds into the contest. The Pacers would hold a lead for the next 1:09, but a lay-up by the home squad gave the team the lead for good.

Trailing 31-17 with 7:45 to play in the first half, Nobles hit a pair of foul shots. Matthews trimmed the deficit to nine at the 7:02 mark with a deep three-pointer off a pass from Ballinger.

Although GSU extended the lead to 13 with 4:18 to play in the half, Ballinger nailed a three-ball, making it 39-29. Milenkovic hit a three-pointer off a pass from Matthews after a media time-out. He was fouled on the play and hit the charity toss for the rare four-point play.

Matthews' tip-in cut the deficit to five with 2:30 to play and his three-pointer cut the margin to a bucket, 40-38, with 1:48 to go.  

Although the home team extended the lead to double digits early in the second period, Vanderslice's squad bounced back. Bolton III hit a pair of free throws, making it a 64-62 game with 9:08 on the clock. Just over a minute later, Robert Hill's dunk pulled the team within one, 65-64.

USC Aiken trailed by just eight points with 2:14 to play, but GSU managed to net seven of the final nine points of the night for the 13-point victory.

The Pacers open the regular season Nov. 12 with a home game against St. Andrews. The contest is slated to start at 6 p.m.