#20 USC AIKEN RINGS IN NEW YEAR WITH 62-55 WIN AT SHAW
LADY PACERS EXTEND BEST START IN SIX YEARS TO 8-1
RALEIGH, N.C.-- USC Aiken (8-1) overcame a slow start on Wednesday evening to knock off previously-ranked Shaw University (5-9) 62-55 at Spaulding Gym in non-conference women’s basketball. The 20th-ranked Lady Pacers extend their best start in six years to 8-1 while avenging their only other meeting with the Lady Bears, a first-round defeat to #2 Shaw in the 2005 NCAA Tournament in the same building. (PHOTO BY: Scott Webster)
The start could not have been more ominous for a team that had not seen live action in 36 days. USCA misfired on seven of their first eight shots from the field, the lone make coming at the 14:46 mark of the opening half on a three-pointer by Jordon Thomas. The Lady Pacers uncharacteristically turned the ball over 11 times in the opening 10 minutes, falling behind 19-3.
Junior forward Satu Leppanen’s lay-up finally ended the rough start with 10:17 on the clock, followed by an old-fashioned three-point play from freshman guard Megan Disney, a perfect time for her first points as a Lady Pacer. Meredith Legg then stepped in and connected on four-straight three-pointers during the team’s next six possessions, as the 17-4 run pulled the Lady Pacers within 23-20 with 6:56 left in the half.
Legg finished with a game-high 18 points on 5-of-10 from long range. Thomas added eight points and four rebounds while Disney chipped in two rebounds and three assists with those three points.
Morgan Johnson scored on an offensive putback with 2:33 remaining to give USC Aiken their first lead of the game 27-26. They would lead by the same slim margin at the break 32-31.
In the second half, it was the Lady Pacer defense putting the clamps on Shaw, holding the Lady Bears to just 8-of-33 from the field for 24.2 percent.
USCA opened the final frame on a 12-4 run to build their largest cushion of the night, 44-35, with 14:25 to play on Johnson’s lay-up off a Megan Starnes feed. Johnson connected on 5-of-6 from the field for 11 points and seven boards while Starnes dished out six assists to go with five points and four rebounds.
Over the next four minutes, Shaw held the Lady Pacers at bay, scoring nine-straight capped off by Tammy Lanier’s jumper at 10:27 to tie the game at 44-44. But the inside presence of Leppanen and Johnson accounted for the next five points as USC Aiken would never trail again, holding on for the 62-55 win.
Avonte Williams grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds for the Lady Pacers while Cameron Crapps added seven points on 3-of-4 shooting in six minutes off the bench.
Lanier finished with seven points for Shaw. Tanisha McGaughey led the Lady Bears with 13 points and six assists while Nicky Souter tallied 10 boards.
USC Aiken, now 2-0 on its season-long four-game road swing, will travel to Dahlonega, Ga. on Saturday, January 5 to face Peach Belt Conference foe North Georgia at 2:00 PM.