GREENWOOD, S.C.--USC Aiken’s men’s basketball team picked up its first win of the season tonight by beating Presbyterian College, 69-65, in the opening game of the South Atlantic/Peach Belt Clash in Greenwood, S.C. Senior Lee Burton led the Pacers (1-2) with 20 points while Curt Triplin scored 18 and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Michael Drum gave the Blue Hose (2-3) a game-high 22 points.

USC Aiken took control of the game after Presbyterian jumped out to a 6-3 lead with 17:22 left in the first half. A jumper by Triplin began a 9-0 run for the Pacers and Jamall Gray’s basket with 14:53 to go gave USCA a lead it would never relinquish. Burton extended the advantage to double digits, 18-8, with a jumper at the 9:38 mark.

After trailing by 11 points, Drum’s basket with 5:34 to go cut the Pacer lead to seven, but USC Aiken answered. Two Mira Jonuska free throws began a 14-2 run for USCA. Trent Boyd and Minda Statkus capped the run with back-to-back three-pointers to put the Pacers in front by 19 points, 37-18, with 45 seconds remaining before intermission. Statkus finished with 11 points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks. Boyd’s game-high seven assists matched the entire Presbyterian College team total. Two Blue Hose free throws set the halftime score at 37-20.

USCA maintained its lead through the first six minutes of the second period. A jumper by Burton gave the Pacers their largest lead of the game, 23 points, 47-24, with 14:42 left in the game.

The Blue Hose didn’t quit. Following Burton’s bucket, Presbyterian scored 12 unanswered points to close the gap to 11 with just over 10 minutes to go. Drum and Sean Dixon each scored five points during the run. USCA stopped the run and pushed the lead back to 13, but Dixon nailed a three-pointer and Drum sank a free throw to cut the lead to under double digits, 49-40, with 8:06 to play. Drum added six boards to go along with his game-high 22 points. Dixon finished with 10 points.

Tray Ballenger hit the second of two free throws at the 4:53 mark to draw Presbyterian within four points, but Triplin buried a trey and the Pacers connected on 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in the final four minutes to secure their first victory of the 2003-04 season.

USC Aiken connected on 47.9 percent (23-of-48) of its shots from the field, 54.5 percent (six-of-11) from beyond the three-point arch and 81 percent (17-of-21) from the free throw line. An 18.2 shooting percentage (two-of-11) from deep hurt Presbyterian, which shot 44 percent (22-of-50) from the floor. The Pacers held a 31-29 advantage on the boards. USCA, which averaged 23.5 turnovers in its first two game, committed just 13 miscues against the Blue Hose.

The Pacers will back in action again on Saturday for day two of the South Atlantic/Peach Belt Clash in Greenwood, S.C. USC Aiken will face Newberry College at 6:00 p.m.

SCORING:
Presbyterian College (65): Grant Herren 12, Willis Brown 2, Andrew Dellinger 4, Tray Ballenger 11, Michael Drum 22, Sean Dixon 10, Rich Adams 2, Johann Collins 2

USC Aiken (69): Curt Triplin 18, Bryant Latimer 5, Lee Burton 20, Todd Williams 4, Minda Statkus 11, Leroy Williams 2, Jamall Gray 2, Trent Boyd 3, Mira Jonuska 4

Boxscore

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