Pacers hold off Bobcats 71-68

Published 11:20 am Monday, January 6, 2025

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. | Zyair Greene, Ian Davis, Luke Krawczyk, and Dallas Clayton all scored in double figures as the quartet combined for 54 points total as Georgia College & State Univeristy fell just short against the University of South Carolina-Aiken 71-68 in a Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball game Saturday (Jan. 4) afternoon inside the USCA Convocation Center.

The Bobcats dropped their second straight game, falling to 5-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while the Pacers improved to 8-4 and 1-1. GCSU looks to bounce back with a Peach Belt Conference match-up against the University of North Georgia on Wednesday (Jan. 8) at 7:30 p.m. inside the Centennial Center.

Georgia College opened the afternoon with a steady lead over USC Aiken. A three-pointer by Greene gave the Bobcats a nine-point lead (13-4) within the first five minutes of the contest. However, a 10-1 run, finished by a three-pointer by Rhyjon Blackwell, would get the Pacers back into the game. The Bobcats wouldn’t take their feet off the gas for the remainder of the half, scoring multiple three-pointers via Davis and Mason Etter and applying pressure to the Pacers, allowing them to enter halftime with an eight-point lead (32-24).

The second half opened the same way the first half ended, with a Khalil Green three-pointer in the opening minutes giving the Bobcats their second double-digit lead (42-31) of the evening. However, almost instantaneously, the Pacers answered back, as a 14-3 run evened things up at 45. The lead constantly flipped back and forth throughout the remainder of the matinee, leading to the last minutes in which everything was tied at 65. The Pacers connected on five of six free throw attempts to open up a 70-65 lead with seven seconds. USC Aiken went 28-of-37 (.757) from the charity stripe to offset its poor shooting from the floor – 19-of-67 (.287). A last-minute three-pointer by Greene helped them get close, but it was too late.

Greene led the Bobcats with 19 points, while Krawczyk (12), Davis (12) and Clayton (11) also finished in double figures. Krawcyzk and Kudlas each led GCSU with six rebounds, while Clayton pulled down five. James Nichols III helped lock down the Pacers on defense, tallying three blocks.