Women's Basketball | July 20, 2018

Prior to the start of fall practice, USC Aiken wants to take one last look back at the top-10 moments from the 2017-18 athletic seasons. Over the next three weeks, we will post the list!

One of the best moments was watching the women's basketball team post a last-second victory at Lander on January 20.

GREENWOOD, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team posted a resounding 66-64 road win at Lander Saturday afternoon.

Head coach Mark Miller's team was led by a pair of student-athletes but four reached double figures. Marissa Bruce and Melyk Taouil posted 18 points apiece while Kyrie' Chandler and Phenicia Howard added 16 and 10, respectively. Star Toomey and Emily Waters added two points apiece.

Toomey was solid on the glass, leading the team with seven rebounds. Sade Johnson dished out a team-best four assists in the win. Taouil and Toomey swatted two shots apiece.  

The contest was a back-and-forth affair in the first half. Trailing 13-9 in the first quarter, Waters snagged an offensive board and Bruce buried a jumper, pulling the visitors within two. Howard knotted things at 13-13 with 2:49 to play on a lay-up. She was fouled on the play and quickly converted the charity toss for the one-point edge. Taouil's jumper pushed the lead to three at 16-13, but the Bearcats ended the quarter on a 7-0 spurt for a 20-16 lead.

Lander led 22-18 before Taouil canned a three-ball with 9:09 to go in the half. The home team managed to take a 37-25 lead with 4:20 to go in the stanza, but Miller's team was relentless. Johnson found Bruce for a three-point shot. On the ensuing possession, Johnson found Chandler for a three-pointer, pulling the team within six at 37-31. Trailing 40-31, Bruce and Taouil buried three-balls over the final 1:43, making it 40-37 at the break.

Taouil kept things going early in the third frame. She opened the scoring by burying a three-pointer off a pass from Johnson. The Pacers took a 43-40 lead after a deep shot from Chandler. However, Lander managed to storm back, taking a 52-45 lead with 5:41 to play in the stanza. Miller's team answered when Chandler took a pass from Taouil for a three-ball. Bruce sliced through the defense for a lay-up before Chandler knotted the score at 52-52 with 55 seconds to go in the period. Taouil converted an old-fashioned three-point play with two seconds left, giving the visitors a 55-52 advantage heading into the fourth.

Bruce made one-of-two free throws 10 seconds into the fourth, completing the team's 11-0 run while giving Miller's team a 56-52 lead.

USC Aiken held a 61-56 advantage with 7:14 to play, but saw the lead shrink to one at 63-62 with 3:22 left on the clock.

Bruce made the second of two charity tosses for a 64-62 lead with 36 seconds to play, but the Bearcats evened the tally with 19 ticks remaining.

After a time-out, USC Aiken worked the ball into the paint and Toomey gave the Pacers a 66-64 lead with three seconds to go. Lander had a last-second shot that was short, giving Miller's team the two-point win.

For the game, USC Aiken buried 23-of-55 from the floor (41.8 percent), including 10-of-22 from downtown 945.5 percent). The squad was solid at the line, hitting 10-of-13 (76.9 percent).

Miller's squad posted 12 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds compared to nine by the Bearcats.