OFFENSIVE FUTILITY COSTS LADY PACERS 48-37
LADY JAGS HAND USC AIKEN SIXTH-STRAIGHT LOSS IN AUGUSTA

AUGUSTA, Ga.-- USC Aiken (10-4, 4-4 PBC) struggled for 40 minutes to find their range on Monday evening, tying the school’s NCAA-era mark for fewest points scored in a game in a tough 48-37 loss to rival Augusta State (10-4, 4-3 PBC) in women’s Peach Belt Conference basketball at Christenberry Fieldhouse.  The Lady Pacers had their modest two-game winning streak halted.  (PHOTO BY: Ginny Southworth)

Augusta State dealt the Lady Pacers their sixth-straight road loss in the series while the 37 points ties the school’s NCAA-era record for futility set on January 13, 1999 in an 86-37 defeat to USC Upstate.  It is also the fewest points since the Lady Pacers put up 31 in a loss at Francis Marion on February 17, 1986. 

The Lady Pacers hit their first two shots to open on a quick 5-0 run at the 18:43 mark.  That was the end of good shooting, however, as USCA missed its next 11 shots and 19 of their next 20 to fall behind 19-9 with 3:43 left in the half. 

Jordon Thomas ended an eight-minute scoring drought with a three-pointer and Nakia Pinkney drained a trey at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 23-17 at the break. 

Thomas finished with a game-high 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead USC Aiken. 

After opening the final frame on an ominous note missing their first four field goals, Megan Starnes and Jordon each hit a bucket as USC Aiken got within 23-21 less than three minutes into the second half. 

But the shooting woes returned as the Lady Pacers managed just one point over the next five minutes.  Jasmine Godwin came off the Lady Jag bench for six points in a 12-1 Augusta State run as they pushed out to a 35-22 advantage, their largest of the game.  Godwin had 10 points in 16 minutes. 

Back-to-back threes from Meredith Legg ignited a 10-0 run as the Lady Pacers pulled within a single possession, 35-32, with 8:52 remaining.  The reigning PBC Player of the Week, coming off a 28-point performance at Columbus State on Saturday, was held scoreless in the first half.  She finished with eight points. 

Still trailing by the same margin with 6:39 play, USC Aiken had six offensive possessions but failed to score.  Thomas converted the second of two free throw attempts with 4:00 remaining to trim it to 39-37, but after a missed shot by Augusta State, the Lady Pacers turned the ball over in the backcourt on some miscommunication, leading to an easy lay-up for Deo Ngulela.  The Lady Jaguars tallied the final seven points of the game as USC Aiken closed the last 4:00

Starnes finished with four while Johnson, the PBC’s leader in field goal percentage, was 2-of-11 for five points to go with 12 rebounds. 

Tracey Paschal had 12 for Augusta State while Porsha White and Godwin each added 10. 

USC Aiken finished 12-of-58 for the game for 20.7 percent and 8-of-19 at the stripe.  Augusta State connected on 18-of-50 from the floor and 11-of-15 at the line. 

Having played six of their last seven away from the friendly confines, USC Aiken returns home to host Lander on Wednesday, January 23 at 5:30 PM. 

Newspaper Box Score
USC Aiken vs Augusta State
01/21/08 5:30 PM at Augusta, Ga. (Christeberry Fieldhouse)

AUGUSTA STATE 48, USC AIKEN 37

USC AIKEN (10-4, 4-4 PBC)
Thomas, Jordon 3-12 5-12 13; Legg, Meredith 3-13 0-0 8; Johnson, Morgan 2-11 1-2 5; Starnes, Megan 2-10 0-1 4; Pinkney, Nakia 1-4 0-0 3; Broadwater, LaToshia 0-0 2-3 2; Wiliams, Avonte 1-7 0-1 2; Leppanen, Satu 0-1 0-0 0; Harris, Triahna 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-58 8-19 37.

AUGUSTA STATE (10-4, 4-3 PBC)
Paschal, Tracey 5-9 2-2 12; White, Porsha 3-5 4-4 10; Godwin, Jasmine 4-7 2-2 10; Ngulela, Deo 1-6 3-4 5; Sheppard, Kenisha 2-2 0-1 4; Mealing, Nicole 1-6 0-0 3; Wells, Adah 1-2 0-0 2; Parker, Sherika 1-4 0-2 2; Jarrard, Brittany 0-6 0-0 0; Jackson, Sonya 0-3 0-0 0; Lampkin, Stacey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-50 11-15 48.

USC Aiken....................   17   20  -   37
Augusta State..............   23   25  -   48

3-point goals--USC Aiken 5-19 (Legg, Meredith 2-5; Thomas, Jordon 2-6; Pinkney, Nakia 1-2; Williams, Avonte 0-3; Starnes, Megan 0-3), Augusta State 1-12 (Mealing, Nicole 1-4; Jarrard, Brittany 0-5; Ngulela, Deo 0-3). Fouled out--USC Aiken-none, Augusta State--none. Rebounds--USC Aiken 41 (Johnson, Morgan 12), Augusta State 47 (White, Porsha 9). Assists--USC Aiken 10 (Starnes, Megan 4), Augusta State 9 (Ngulela, Deo 4). Total fouls--USC Aiken 16, Augusta State 20. Technical fouls--USC Aiken-none, Augusta State-none. A-1112

BOXSCORE