YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team dropped an 86-74 contest at Young Harris Wednesday evening.

The Pacers are now 1-2 on the season. The squad is 0-1 in league play. The Mountain Lions are 1-1 on the year and 1-0 in PBC action.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Anyeuri Castillo's 23 points on eight-of-12 shooting, including a four-of-six effort from the three-point line. Latreavin Black, Donaven Hairston and Gus Rowland had nine points apiece in the loss. Black pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds and swatted a pair of shots. 

USC Aiken trailed 19-7 in the early going but trimmed the deficit to five on an old-fashioned three-point play by Jalen Knight at the 9:47 mark. The Pacers fell behind 25-15 before Hairston hit a jumper. He then found Castillo for a three-ball to once again make it a five-point contest with just under eight minutes to play in the half.

Six consecutive points from Castillo gave Vanderslice's squad its first lead of the game at 29-27 at the 5:01 mark. With under a minute to play in the stanza, Hairston found Black for a lay-up. A steal by Hairston resulted in a pair of free throws seconds later, which he calmly hit for a 41-38 lead at the break.

A jumper from Damontez Oliver in the early part of the second period gave USC Aiken a 45-41 advantage. The Mountain Lions embarked on 25-11 spurt for a nine-point edge with 9:47 to play.

Rowland canned a three-point shot before finding Tehree Horn for a shot from distance. Horn returned the favor moments later as he found Rowland for a lay-up, pulling the Pacers within one at 65-64. Hairston's lay-up at the 6:25 mark gave USC Aiken a one-point edge.

Down 75-69, Jakobi Pearson's lay-up pulled the visitors within four, but it was as close as USC Aiken would get the rest of the way.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 27-of-76 from the floor (35.5 percent), including 12-of-39 from distance (30.8 percent). The team hit eight-of-10 free throws (80 percent), but YHC hit 30-of-35 (85.7 percent) from the stripe.

Vanderslice's squad maintained an 18-8 edge on the offensive glass en route to posting 20 second-chance points. USC Aiken dished out 17 assists and converted 17 miscues into 19 markers.    

The Pacers host North Georgia Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.