Pacers Upset Efforts Come Up Short against 18th-Ranked Patriots
AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers nearly pulled off an upset over No. 18 Francis Marion on Wednesday night in the Convocation Center before falling 79-77 to the Patriots.
After battling for nearly forty minutes, the game was settled on
the last possession for USC Aiken as the Pacers were unable to get
an open shot as time expired.
The back-and-forth game was tied eight times, the lead changed
hands five times and both teams acquired double-digit leads on one
another before the two-point conclusion. Francis Marion led by as
many as 11 points, while USC Aiken garnered a 12- point advantage
at one point in the contest.
The contest was part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Night at the
Convocation Center, as door prizes were handed out to the fist 100
spectators. Over 1,400 Pacer fans were in attendance for the
matchup against Francis Marion.
Four Pacers finished with double-figure scoring totals including
Catherine Cain (Dayton, Ohio /Ohio University), who tied for the
game-high with 18 points and five rebounds. Francis Marion's Shana
Franks also finished with 18 points.
Kendra Chandler (Aiken, S.C. /Aiken HS) finished with 16 points
while Nakia Pinkney (Orangeburg, S.C. /Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS)
added 14 points and Lindsay Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn. /E.O. Smith
HS) scored 11 points as the final Pacer to finish in
double-figures.
USC Aiken matched the high-scoring Patriot offense right from the
start of the contest, shooting 16-of-27 from the floor in the
opening twenty minutes to take a 39-37 lead at halftime.
Francis Marion kept the game within reach during the first half
with a 16-of-35 shooting performance.
Both teams spent plenty of time getting points in the paint as the
Patriots scored 30 points in the paint, while the Pacers amassed
32.
USC Aiken will now hit the road for a two-game road trip beginning
on Jan. 16 against Clayton State before traveling to North Georgia
two days later.
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