AIKEN, SC – Seventh-ranked USC Aiken used an 11-0 run early in the game and a 23-4 spurt early in the second half to claim a 77-59 Peach Belt Conference win over Francis Marion University, Wednesday night (Feb. 6) in men’s action.

Francis Marion (8-11, 2-10) loses for the seventh straight game, while USCA (18-2, 12-1) maintains hits grip on the conference lead and completes its first season sweep of the Patriots in seven years.

FMU junior guard Crayton Jones led Francis Marion with a career-high 13 points, while junior center Kevin Clark and freshman forward Simel Boyd each had 10 points.  For Boyd, it was his third straight double-digit scoring effort.

USCA junior Chris Commons scored a game-high 29 points as the Pacers stayed perfect at 9-0 in their new home arena.  

The Pacers led by 13 at the break (37-24) and scored the first two points of the second half, but Francis Marion responded with a 9-2 run to cut the lead to seven coming out of the first media timeout at the 13:59 mark.  

USCA picked up the tempo with a full-court press and forced nine turnovers in the 23-4 spurt that put the game away. Commons scored nine points during the run, including a jumper at the 9:21 mark that made it 64-38 USCA.    Hitting 9-for-9 from the line, the junior forward scored 18 points in a second half in which the hosts led by as many 29 before the Patriots scored the last 10 points down the stretch.

USC Aiken shot 50 percent from the field, including 9-for-18 from long range, while Francis Marion hit 26-of-62 shots (41.9 percent), but only 1-for-12 from beyond the arc.  The Pacers connected on 26-for-41 from the charity stripe, while the Patriots were six of 14. 

Francis Marion plays at Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday at 4 p.m.