Men's Basketball | March 12, 2024

Each week, USC Aiken will post notes. This week, the Pacers take on Emmanuel in the first game of the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday, March 16.

Conference Awards

Last week, USC Aiken picked up several accolades by the PBC. Tyler Johnson was named the PBC Player of the Year while head coach Mark Vanderslice was tabbed the Coach of the Year. Additionally, Johnson and Tehree Horn garnered first-team all-league honors while Jalen McCoy picked up third-team all-conference accolades.

Back-To-Back Championships

With the victory over Lander in the regular-season finale, USC Aiken won its second consecutive PBC regular-season title. The Pacers finished 14-4 to sit atop the league standings for the second consecutive season. 

Looking At The First Opponent


USC Aiken has a rematch against Emmanuel from earlier in the season. The Pacers beat the Lions 67-65 in Franklin Springs, Ga., on Nov. 29. In the game, Jalen McCoy led the team with 21 points while Tehree Horn added 15. Tyler Johnson snagged a game-best 10 boards. USC Aiken will square off again against Kelvin Jones – the Division II leader in points per game. In the first contest, the Pacers limited him to three-of-13 shooting from the floor en route to a 16-point effort. Tavarus Webb (15) and Chris Dees (14) each reached double figures in the game while Jasper Gibson narrowly missed double digits with nine points. 

Possible Rematches


In the second game of the regional, USC Aiken would face the winner of No. 3 Lincoln Memorial and No. 6 Lander. The Pacers and Bearcats split both games this season, having won on their home courts. USC Aiken and LMU met in last year's regional championship. The Railsplitters came away with the narrow win in a tightly contested 89-83 game. Jalen McCoy led the way with a then-career high 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the floor, including a four-of-five effort from downtown. The 34 points also marked a USC Aiken Division II postseason high for scoring by a Pacer.

Inside The Numbers

This week, USC Aiken squares off against Emmanuel on Saturday, March 16. The Pacers could also take on either No. 3 Lincoln Memorial or No. 6 Lander on Sunday, March 17. Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 241-180 (57.2 percent) in Saturday games and 18-14 (56.3 percent) in Sunday games. During the same time, the Pacers are 3-0 on March 16 and 1-2 on March 17. 

Against The Opponents

This week, USC Aiken squares off against Emmanuel on Saturday, March 16. The Pacers could also take on either No. 3 Lincoln Memorial or No. 6 Lander on Sunday, March 17. The program is 1-0 in the all-time series against Emmanuel – a 67-65 victory earlier this season. USC Aiken trails the all-time series to the Railsplitters 4-1. The Pacers and Bearcats are tied in the all-time series 55-55.