AIKEN, S.C. – The USCA women's basketball team led the entire game in the 65-58 victory over Clayton State Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers are now 5-12 on the season, including a 2-7 ledger in PBC play.

Head coach Brittany Batts' team was paced by Mackenna Nix's double-double effort of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Morgan McDermott added 15 points and three steals while Monique Emelifeonwu added 13 points and five blocks. Mahkayla Premo totaled 12 points, five boards and four assists. Destiny Harman chipped in seven points while Zenia Palaska had two points and seven boards.

Nika Kurdija accounted for four boards and four assists.

USCA jumped out to a 10-5 lead entering the first media time-out. Up 4-2, McDermott took a long pass from Kurdija for a lay-up. Leading 6-3, Emelifeonwu connected on a pair of lay-ups for a seven-point cushion, 10-3. After the break in action, Premo sliced through the defense and found Harman on the wing, who promptly rattled home a bucket from downtown. Holding an 18-7 edge, Nix found Premo for a lay-up, giving the home squad a 13-point cushion entering the second stanza.

Up 22-11, two wide-open lay-ups from Palaska and Harman – both off passes from Premo – gave USCA a 26-11 lead and forced a time-out by the visitors. Holding a 26-15 margin, Premo hit McDermott for a three-ball. Nix hit a lay-up with just over a minute to go, but the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 10 just before halftime.

The Lakers pulled within five with just over 4:30 to play in the third, but Nix found Premo for a corner three-ball, pushing the margin to eight, 45-37. With the score at 45-40, Emelifeonwu hit Nix for a three-point basket. Harman stepped in front of a pass and took it the distance for a lay-up. Nix hit two free throws for a 52-40 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Clayton State sliced the margin to just two with 3:29 to play. Kurdija hit Premo for a jumper. McDermott stole a pass and promptly hit two charity tosses. On the ensuing possession, USCA saw the clock nearly wind down. However, McDermott kicked the pass to Emelifeonwu, who nailed a 25-foot shot off the glass for a 63-54 advantage en route to the win.

For the game, USCA hit 24-of-57 from the floor, including a sizzling seven-of-13 from downtown. The squad buried 10-of-16 from the charity stripe. Batts' team pulled down 39 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive glass. The Pacers distributed the ball well, dishing out 16 assists. The squad also converted 18 turnovers into 17 points.

USCA returns to action Wednesday when they host Georgia Southwestern at 5:30 p.m. It has been designated a White-Out game. The first 50 students in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.