AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team lost a 78-64 decision to visiting Clayton State Wednesday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers fall to 9-15 on the season, including 4-11 against conference competition. The Lakers improve to 18-4 overall and 12-3 against league foes.

Leading the game for USC Aiken was Stephanie Ball and Mariah Durian, who each shared game-high accolades with 15 points. Ball added six boards while Durian dished out three assists. 

Kate Duff posted a game-best seven assists to go along with her six markers before fouling out. Alexis Ware accounted for eight points while Aubrey Lukacsko and Kassy Johannsen chipped in seven points apiece.

Head coach Mike Brandt's team got a fast start to open the game. Jasmine Coach buried a jumper on the team's first possession off a pass from Ball. After Aubrey Lukacsko's rebound, USC Aiken pushed the score to 4-0 when Ball drained a runner. With 5:57 on the clock in the opening stanza, Ball took a pass from Lukacsko and drilled a deep three-pointer for a seven-point cushion.

The Lakers slowly cut the deficit to two at 10-8, but Carly Gilreath netted a jumper off a sensational pass from Kate Duff for a four-point edge with 1:15 to play in the quarter. The Pacers led 13-10 heading into the second frame.

Brandt's squad quickly upped its lead to 17-10 after a lay-up from Gilreath and a jumper by Ball at the 7:45 mark. USC Aiken held a 19-13 edge when Mariah Durian got into the scoring act with a bucket. However, Clayton State went on a 14-0 run for a 27-19 lead at the 3:56 mark. The Pacers were relentless and sliced the deficit to four on a pair of foul shots by Kassy Johannsen, but the visitors tallied the last four points of the half for a 31-23 advantage at the break.

Immediately after halftime, the Lakers extended the margin to 13 before Brandt's team started whittling away at the deficit. Durian buried a deep three-pointer off a pass from Duff to make it a 49-45 contest with 46 seconds to go in the period. The teams traded baskets in the closing seconds, giving the Pacers momentum heading into the final 10 minutes of action.

Clayton State pushed the margin to 10 points with 5:18 to play, but USC Aiken continued to fight hard. Trailing 66-57, Ball nailed a three-ball with 3:42 to play. USC Aiken would pull within six on a pair of occasions, but was forced to foul. The Lakers connected on their free throw attempts down the stretch to hold onto the victory.

For the game, USC Aiken connected on 24-of-58 shots from the floor, including seven-of-28 from the three-point stripe. Brandt's team was sensational at halftime, connecting on nine-of-10 (90 percent). 

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they travel to Augusta for a 1:30 p.m., contest. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.