ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team posted a 94-81 victory at Flagler Saturday afternoon.
The Pacers are now 17-7 overall, including 10-4 in PBC play.
Head coach
Mark Vanderslice's team was led by
Tehree Horn's career-high 32 points. He hit 13-of-19 from the floor, including six-of-nine from behind the three-point stripe. For good measure, Horn pulled down five boards and dished out three assists.
Jalen McCoy poured in 20 points on nine-of-13 shooting. He also had five rebounds and two assists.
Tyler Johnson got things going early for USC Aiken. He ended up with 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Jameel Rideout notched 12 points while
Karon Boyd narrowly missed out on double figures with nine markers. He chipped in five rebounds and three assists.
Demitrios Dixon accounted for six points in the win.
The 32 points from Horn mark the most points scored by a men's basketball student-athlete in a game since the 2019-20 season. The 16 made three-point field goals are also tied for third in school history.
USC Aiken jumped out to an 8-2 lead 3:10 into the contest. Down 2-0, Rideout buried back-to-back three-point baskets off passes from Horn and Johnson. A lay-up by Johnson off a pass from Boyd made it an 8-2 contest.
Leading 13-6, Dixon nailed a three-point bucket. Johnson followed it up with a shot from distance for a 13-point advantage. Holding a 28-18 lead, McCoy connected on back-to-back scores before finding Horn for a lay-up, giving the visitors a 34-18 lead with 8:53 to play before intermission.
The Pacers were up 41-27 before Johnson made two charity tosses. McCoy's bucket extended the margin to 18, 45-27. Flagler pulled within 12 at 47-35 but Horn answered the bell with a lay-up. McCoy's jumper and Rideout's shot from distance made it a 54-35 game at the break.
Flagler closed the gap to six, 68-62, with 10:18 to play. McCoy and Horn hit back-to-back shots, pushing the margin back to double figures. Leading 77-69, Horn scored five straight points for an 82-69 edge with 5:23 to play.
The Saints made it 82-72 with a three-point shot, but Horn dialed up a pair of shots from long distance for an 88-72 lead. McCoy's free throws extended the margin to 90-72 at the 2:53 mark.
For the game, USC Aiken nailed 36-of-68 from the floor (52.9 percent), including 16-of-33 from the three-point line (48.5 percent). The squad also buried six-of-seven from the free throw line (85.7 percent).
Vanderslice's team outrebounded the home team 34-28, including an 11-6 edge on the offensive glass. The Pacres dished out 20 assists, forced 12 turnovers and scored 18 points off Flagler miscues. USC Aiken dominated the lane, outscoring the home team 40-20 in the paint. The 11 offensive boards resulted into 11 second-chance points.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they make the trek to Augusta at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.