AMERICUS, Ga. – A 17-4 run to start the second half broke open a close game as the University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team posted a 67-54 victory at Georgia Southwestern Monday evening.
The Pacers are now 7-3 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Hurricanes fall to 5-4 overall and 0-2 against PBC teams.
Head coach
Mark Vanderslice's team was led by
Tyler Johnson's near double-double effort of 16 points and nine rebounds.
Karon Boyd added 12 points and six rebounds.
Daniel Parrish tallied nine points while
Tehree Horn notched eight points and nine boards.
Jameel Rideout accounted for seven markers.
Johnson opened the game with a three-point bucket. After a turnover, Johnson pushed the margin to 5-0 at the 16:24 mark. The Hurricanes got back into the game and tied it at 7-7. The squads traded points until it was knotted at 14-14 with 6:36 to play.
A steal and lay-up by Boyd gave USC Aiken a two-point margin with just under six minutes to go in the half. Rideout canned a jumper at the 5:03 mark for a four-point advantage. Four straight free throws by the visitors extended the lead to eight, 22-14. Up 22-16, Johnson converted a lay-up but GSW nailed a three-ball to make it 24-19 at the break.
Up 27-21, Boyd hit a free throw. Moments later, Boyd drilled two more charity tosses. A rebound by Johnson turned into a lay-up by him and a 32-21 margin. Leading 32-23, Horn buried a three-point bucket at the 15:43 mark. Johnson scored the next three points for a 38-23 lead with 15:24 to play. Horn's three-ball off a pass from Johnson extended the advantage to 18.
Vanderslice's team kept the home squad at bay, not letting get any closer to 16 for the next several minutes. When Johnson found Boyd for a three-point shot at the 4:55 mark, USC Aiken increased the lead to 22, 63-41. A late 6-0 spurt by GSW made it a 13-point win.
For the game, USC Aiken buried 24-of-63 from the floor (38.1 percent). The squad canned 14-of-20 from the charity stripe (70.0 percent). The team pulled down 53 rebounds, including 18 on the offensive glass, which led to 18 second-chance points. The 53 rebounds marked the sixth most by the program in the Division II era. Vanderslice's squad garnered 36 points in the paint.
The Pacers return to action Thursday when they play at Barton at 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
