AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team knocked off No. 19 Columbus State 78-67 in a Peach Belt Conference contest Saturday afternoon.
The Pacers are now 6-7 overall and 2-2 against PBC teams. The Cougars fall to 9-1 overall, including a 3-1 mark in league play.
Leading the way for head coach Mark Miller's team was led by Kwajelin Farrar's game-high 21 points. She was one of four victors in double figures. Rachelle Aupont accounted for a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Emily Waters tallied 14 markers to go along with six rebounds and three blocks. Alexis Ware tallied 11 points while Carly Gilreath dished out a career-high 10 assists.
USC Aiken opened the contest slowly, trailing 6-0. However, the team pulled within one with 2:22 to play in the first frame on a jumper by Farrar to make it 6-5. The squads traded baskets the rest of the first period. A free throw by Alexis Ware with three seconds to go in the quarter made it 10-9.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair. USC Aiken went up 23-20 on a jumper by Ware. She added another basket for a 25-20 lead and a free throw by Jasmine Coach pushed the margin to 26-20 with 3:10 to go. Miller's team held a 29-27 advantage at the break.
The Cougars tied it just 1:21 into the third stanza and actually took an eight-point lead with 1:21 to go in the quarter. However, a pair of foul shots by Waters sliced the deficit to six. The team cut it to five heading into the fourth period.
Trailing 51-44 early in the fourth quarter, Miller's squad embarked on a 7-0 spurt to knot the contest. During the run, Aupont drilled a three-ball. Waters made a pair of free throws before she found Farrar for a lay-up.
After the Cougars hit a jumper, the Pacers countered with a three-ball from Ware for a 54-53 lead. Down 55-54, Ware and Farrar answered with back-to-back buckets off passes from Gilreath. Farrar's shot was followed by a free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play. Gilreath found Farrar for another jumper and a 61-55 edge.
Columbus State made it a four-point game with under four minutes to play, but Kate Duff knocked down a pair of charity tosses. She followed it up with a basket for a 67-59 advantage. The visitors pulled within five on multiple occasions in the closing minutes, but USC Aiken withstood the challenge en route to the 11-point victory.
For the game, USC Aiken hit 24-of-59 from the floor (40.7 percent), including six-of-16 from downtown (37.5 percent). The Pacers accounted for 18 assists on the 24 field goals.
USC Aiken outscored the Cougars 17-16 off turnovers. Miller's team registered 50 points off the bench.
The Pacers return to action Monday when they play at North Georgia. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
