COLUMBUS, Ga. – The USCA men's basketball team defeated sixth-seeded North Georgia 92-88 in overtime Saturday, earning a spot in the PBC Championship.

The Pacers are now 22-8 on the season.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team was led by Jalen McCoy's 29-point, eight-rebound effort. Davion Cunningham added 18 points, while Simeon German and Mason Grant tallied nine points apiece. German also swatted four shots.

Rafael Rubel accounted for seven points and two steals while Rhyjon Blackwell and Caleb Byrd notched six points apiece. Cam Perkins and Chedlet Delva had four points. Delva grabbed nine boards and had two blocks.

Trailing 9-4 in the early going, Grant found German for a thunderous dunk. Blackwell drained a jumper off a pass from Grant and a lay-up by Grant gave the Pacers a 10-9 lead.

Down 18-15, Cunningham netted four straight points – off a jumper and a pair of free throws – to give USCA the 19-18 lead. UNG held a one-point advantage, but Cunningham took a pass from Byrd and drilled a three-ball. McCoy then converted an old-fashioned three-point play before hitting a lay-up for a seven-point cushion.

Up 29-25, Grant hit a free throw and Cunningham scored on an inside shot for a seven-point margin once again. The Nighthawks sliced the deficit to 32-31, but Rafael Rubel nailed a three-ball. A lay-up from Delva pushed the margin to six and the designated home team led 39-33 at the break.

The back-and-forth affair saw UNG take a 48-44 lead before Blackwell hit two charity tosses, sparking a 7-0 spurt. The run culminated in a Grant three-point play with 12:31 to play.

Down by one, 57-56, McCoy hit two free throws and Cunningham buried a jumper a the 7:57 mark. A three-ball from Cunningham pushed USCA into the lead, 67-64, with 3:40 to play. 

Trailing 70-69 with less than two minutes on the clock, German hit a lay-up. The Nighthawks countered with a three-point shot, but Blackwell hit two free throws and McCoy threw down a dunk. UNG tied it with 54 ticks remaining in regulation. The Nighthawks had a chance to win with two seconds left, but they missed a shot, sending the game into overtime.

Delva and McCoy gave the Pacers a 79-77 lead just 1:13 into the extra period. UNG made it a two-point game, but Cunningham answered with a lay-up. McCoy's jumper extended the margin to five, 83-78. A pair of Byrd free throws pushed the lead to six, 87-81, with 42 seconds to go.

McCoy hit two charity tosses for an 89-83 margin, but the visitors pulled within three. Perkins hit a free throw for a 90-86 advantage. UNG made a lay-up with seven seconds left. Byrd was fouled and made both free throws for the four-point victory.

For the game, USCA hit 32-of-65 (49.2 percent) from the floor, including four-of-15 (26.7 percent) from downtown. The team hit 24-of-34 (70.6 percent) from the charity stripe. Vanderslice's team outrebounded UNG 43-31, including a 13-9 edge on the offensive glass. USCA held a 48-34 edge in the paint. The team also maintained a 17-5 margin in second-chance points.

The Pacers will play USC Beaufort in the PBC Championship tomorrow at 3 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.