NEED TO KNOW:
Score: USC Aiken 80 – Clayton State 69
Records: Lakers (0-4, 0-4 PBC) – Pacers (3-2, 1-1 PBC)
Series History: Series tied 21-21
 
MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton State men's basketball team fell 80-69 to USC Aiken in a tough, back-and-forth Peach Belt Conference matchup on Saturday evening in The Loch.
 
The Lakers (0-4, 0-4 PBC) jumped out to an early 11-2 lead midway through the first half and led by as many as 12 with 7:01 left in the first, but USC Aiken (3-2, 1-1 PBC) tied the game 24-24 just under four minutes later.
 
The Pacers eventually took the lead with 40 seconds left, but Ricardo Saams Jr. hit a jumper 17 seconds later to tie the game at 28 going into halftime.
 
The second half was a scrap as the lead exchanged numerous times throughout the first 6:58.
 
An Aiken 3-pointer with 13:42 left was the final lead change of the game, but the Lakers kept fighting.
 
Trailing by 11 with 10:34 remaining, Christoff Nairn hit a three before Justin Figueroa laid the ball in to trail by six. The Pacers used a mix of excellent shooting and rebounding to control the final minutes and prevail with the win.

COMING UP:
- The Lakers return home to face Georgia Southwestern on January 20th.
- Clayton State then travels to Augusta University (Jan. 23) and Young Harris (Jan. 27).

TURNING POINT:
- USC Aiken took its final lead at 13:42 in the second half and controlled the final minutes.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Saams Jr. finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.
- Figueroa had 15 points, four assists and three steals while Tibor Palinkas added 11 points , three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
- Aiken's Jakobi Pearson had a game-high 22 points and five steals.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- No player from either team had double-digit rebounds.
 
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