AIKEN, S.C. – The USCA men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 71-67 game to Georgia College & State University Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers are now 7-8 on the season, including 2-5 in PBC play.

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's squad was guided by Jonah Lawrence's 21-point, three-assist game. McCaskill Rivers totaled 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Brock Cherry netted 10 points. Caleb Byrd and Josiah Harding added nine points apiece while Chedlet Delva and Deandre Smart added two points each. Delva led the way with a game-best 10 rebounds and game-high four blocks. 

Down 9-4, Lawrence and Delva connected on baskets. Harding hit two free throws before Lawrence found Cherry for a three-ball, giving USCA a 13-9 edge. Up 13-11, Cherry drilled back-to-back three-point shots off passes from Byrd and Rivers for a 19-11 margin. Byrd's free throw gave the Pacers a three-point cushion, 22-19, at the 4:19 mark. However, the Bobcats embarked on an 11-0 spurt to close the half.

Trailing 35-22, Byrd started a run with a free throw. Harding nailed a three-ball and hit two charity tosses. A bucket by Rivers sliced the deficit to five, 35-30. Down 39-32, Rivers converted a three-point play. Lawrence canned a three-ball before Cherry made one-of-two from the foul line. A basket by Rivers gave USCA a 41-39 lead at the12:58 mark.

The back-and-forth affair saw Rivers give the Pacers a 46-45 lead on a three-point basket with 10:48 to play. Down 49-46, Rivers sparked another run with a lay-up. Lawrence posted a three-point play before Rivers made two free throws. A free throw by Lawrence pushed the Pacers to a 54-49 cushion.

With 3:14 remaining, Lawrence broke a 62-62 tie with a lay-up. The Pacers trimmed the deficit to two, 69-67, on a three-point basket from Lawrence with 16 ticks on the clock. However, the Bobcats made two free throws for the final margin.

For the game, USCA hit 20-of-57 from the floor, including eight-of-25 from downtown. The team hit 19-of-31 from the charity stripe. The Pacers held a 47-45 edge on the glass. USCA scored 20 points in the paint and posted nine second-chance points. The squad dished out 11 assists. USCA tallied five blocks.

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they travel to Augusta for a game starting at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com