AMERICUS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball team lost a 79-67 decision to Young Harris Thursday afternoon in the PBC Quarterfinal.
The Pacers are now 18-11 on the season.
Head coach
Mark Miller's team was led by
Breanna Gustave's team-high 14 points.
Delaney Trushel tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Annalise Malone and
Jentri Worley netted 12 points apiece while
Emily Trushel chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Hailey Unger snagged seven rebounds, dished out two assists and added a block in the contest.
In the first quarter, USC Aiken jumped out to a 5-2 lead after a three-ball from Worley and a jumper from Malone. The Mountain Lions took the lead temporarily, but
Kelsie Woodard's free throw knotted the game at 9-9 with 4:47 to play in the frame. Trailing 16-11,
Emily Trushel hit three free throws before Worley's lay-up tied the game at 16-16 at the 2:16 mark. YHC managed to hold a 21-16 advantage after the first.
Down by seven, 23-16, Gustave converted an inside shot off a pass from Unger.
Delaney Trushel's three-point shot pulled the Pacers within two at 23-21. The teams traded the next four points but the Mountain Lions were able to make it a 44-32 contest at the break.
The Pacers trailed by 19 early in the third quarter but the team was able to 14 with 6:41 to go in the frame. After a pair of charity tosses from Malone, she found
Emily Trushel for an old-fashioned three-point play, making it 53-39. The Mountain Lions held a 66-46 lead going into the final quarter.
Down 72-53, Unger hit a jumper with 6:26 to go. Gustave canned two free throws at the 5:40 mark.
Emily Trushel's three-point basket sliced the deficit to 14, 74-60, at the 4:57 mark. The designated home team cut it to 12 with six seconds left on a basket by Worley for the final score.
For the game, USC Aiken hit 23-of-60 from the floor (38.3 percent). The team canned 15-of-21 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent). The Pacers pulled down 13 offensive rebounds. Overall, the squad dished out 10 assists, had seven second-chance points and recorded 13 points off turnovers.
The Pacers will see if they earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament Sunday night during the NCAA Selection Show.