AIKEN, S.C. – The USCA men's basketball team picked up a 74-73 victory over USC Beaufort Wednesday evening in the PBC opener.

The Pacers are now 5-2 on the season, including 1-0 in PBC play.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Jonah Lawrence's 19-point, six-assist effort. Caleb Byrd turned in a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while McCaskill Rivers added 11 markers. Josiah Harding posted 10 points and snagged five boards.

A dunk and a jumper by Lawrence gave USCA a 7-4 lead at the 17:55 mark. Down 16-10, Lawrence buried a three-ball. Brock Cherry had a lay-up before Smart hit an inside shot at the 12:56 mark for a 17-16 edge. Trailing 23-19, Byrd canned a three-ball. Roberts hit a jumper with 9:03 to play for a 24-23 advantage. USCA trailed 31-27 before Rivers hit a free throw. A dunk by Delva and a lay-up by Rivers gave USCA a one-point lead. Perkins found Harding for a three-ball, margin at 35-31. Up 35-34, Perkins hit two free throws before Harding connected on a lay-up at the buzzer for a five-point cushion, 39-34.

An 8-4 spurt out of the gate in the second half pushed the Pacers to a 47-38 lead. USCA trailed 58-52 before Montraivis White canned a three-ball. A pair of free throws by Lawrence knotted the game at 59-58. Down 62-59, Lawrence hit two free throws and Byrd hit one, tying the contest at 62-62. Rivers hit four straight charity tosses for a four-point margin at the 3:28 mark. Josiah Harding's free throw pushed the margin to five, but USC Beaufort cut the margin to two, 72-70, with 32 ticks on the clock. With 16 seconds to play, Lawrence found White for a lay-up. Outstanding defense by USCA kept the visitors at bay. The final tally was due to a three-point bucket with under a second to go.

For the game, USCA hit 25-of-68 from the floor, including eight-of-30 from the three-point line. Vanderslice's team hit 16-of-23 from the charity stripe. The Pacers held a 47-38 edge on the glass, including a 19-12 advantage on the offensive end. USCA accounted for 32 points in the paint and had 13 second-chance points. 

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they play at Middle Georgia at 1:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.