1 week Ago
The USC Aiken men's basketball team got back into the win column Saturday, leading for nearly the entire 40 minutes of a 71-52 win over Clayton State. The Pacers (12-5, 5-2 Peach Belt Conference) never trailed after Clayton State led 5-4 in the early going. A pair of Davion Cunningham free throws put USCA ahead at the 18:14 mark of the first half, and the Pacers never looked back.
Cunningham led all scorers with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting, and he added eight rebounds. Jalen McCoy (11 points, nine rebounds) and Simeon German (nine points, 12 boards) were both in double-double territory, Mason Grant had 11 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench, and Rhyjon Blackwell scored seven points. USCA was dominant on the glass, out-rebounding the Lakers (6-11, 0-7) by 26 to earn extra possession after extra possession.
The Pacers shot 28-for-66 (42.4%) overall, overcoming a tough afternoon from beyond the arc (3-for-16; 18.8%).
They scored 18 second-chance points off of 19 offensive rebounds, scored 42 points in the paint and converted 13 Clayton State turnovers into 21 points. The Lakers were held to 20 of 65 (30.8%) shooting, and the Pacers played strong defense to keep them from having opportunities to score at the free throw line - USCA didn't commit its first foul until nearly 8 minutes had come off the game clock, and Clayton State attempted only nine free throws.
The Pacers took their biggest lead of the afternoon when McCoy's free throws with 2:07 left made it 71-45. It was a good bounce-back win for USCA after falling at No. 25 Columbus State by 20 last Saturday.
The Pacers will look to start a new win streak, with their next game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Georgia.
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