FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team lost a hard-fought 80-77 overtime game at Emmanuel Tuesday evening.

The Pacers are now 1-2 on the season while the Lions improve to 3-0.

Head coach Mark Miller's team was led by Annalise Malone's 16 points and five rebounds. Jentri Worley tallied 14 points, five boards and three assists while Marta Rivera hit five-of-seven for 13 points. Hailey Unger added 11 points and four boards.

Jaya Nelson and Kelsie Woodard chipped in 10 points apiece. Woodard snagged 11 rebounds for a double-double. Paris Webster hit a three-ball and had three assists to go along with three rebounds.

Trailing 4-1, Unger recorded a steal and a lay-up. Unger pulled the visitors within one at 6-5 after a pair of free throws. When Jaya Nelson found Malone for a three-ball, Miller's team took an 8-6 lead. Down 11-10, Rivera converted a lay-up. After a rebound by the Pacers, Worley netted a three-point shot for a 15-11 edge at the end of the first quarter.

Trailing 23-17, Webster found Malone for an inside shot at the 3:23 mark of the second frame. Down 25-20, Malone slipped a pass to Rivera for a lay-up with 2:05 to play. The Lions held a 32-25 lead with under a minute to play but Worley hit a shot in the lane. Down 33-27, Destiny Harman hit Rivera for a three-point bucket as time expired, pulling the team within three (33-30) at the break.

Lay-ups by Woodard and Worley, in addition to a charity toss by Worley to complete a three-point play, gave USC Aiken at 35-33 advantage just 48 seconds into the third frame. A lay-up from Nelson and two free throws by Woodard at the 5:06 mark pushed the margin to four, 44-40. Leading 49-48, Unger sliced through the defense for a bucket with 98 seconds to go in the quarter. Worley found Unger for another basket with just under a minute to play but the Lions hit two free throws with one second remaining to make it 53-50 heading into the fourth quarter.

Miller's team increased the lead to 56-50 when Woodard found Worley for a three-ball at the 8:30 mark. Tied at 62-62, Worley buried two charity tosses with 4:19 to play. After Emmanuel hit a shot to go up 65-64, Nelson answered the bell with a shot from behind the arc. Nelson then hit a pair of free throws for a 69-65 advantage with 2:57 to go.

The Lions netted six straight points, taking a 71-69 lead with 18 seconds to go. The home team was unable to complete the three-point play and Webster snagged the missed free throw. Miller promptly called time-out. Emmanuel fouled Malone with seven seconds to go and the sophomore netted both charity attempts, once again tying the score. The Lions missed a last-second three-point attempt, sending the contest into overtime.

Down 75-73 with just over two minutes to play in the extra session, Unger found Webster for a three-ball. Emmanuel answered with four straight points, but Rivera made one-of-two free throws with 53 seconds to go, slicing the deficit to two, 79-77. Webster recorded a steal with 24 seconds remaining, but USC Aiken's shot with one second left would not fall.

For the game, USC Aiken hit 25-of-67 (37.3 percent) from the floor, including nine-of-27 (33.3 percent) from downtown. The squad connected on 18-of-26 (69.2 percent) from the charity stripe.

Miller's team outrebounded the home team 36-33, including a 10-6 edge on the offensive glass, which led to 20 second-chance points. The squad dished out 14 assists.

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they play at Winston-Salem State at 2 p.m.