AIKEN, S.C. | Tavares Sledge and Arbry Butler combined for 54 points as the University of South Carolina Aiken upset Young Harris College 90-81 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Saturday (Jan. 30) afternoon at the Convocation Center,
 
The Pacers improved to 4-15 overall and to 2-10 in the league while the Mountain Lions fell to 11-10 and 9-3. Young Harris returns to action Wednesday (Feb. 3) when they host cross-mountain rival University of North Georgia in a 7:30 p.m. Purple Out game at the YHC Basketball Arena.
 
Young Harris took its only lead of the game at 8-7 on a Bjorn Walker jumper with 15:58 remaining in the first half. Sledge's three-pointer 42 seconds later to give the Pacers the lead for good at 10-8. USC Aiken opened up a six-point lead (18-12) on a Sledge layup with 12:16 left.
 
The Mountain Lions closed to within a point at 18-17 after a Ben Waterhouse jumper in the paint just over a minute later. However, the Pacers thwarted the rally and reclaimed an eight-point edge (34-26) on a Keith Belfield three-pointer with 5:55 to go. Young Harris rallied to within two points (36-34) on a short jumper by Walker with 3:11 to go, but the Pacers got a dunk and layup from Butler to lead 40-34 at the half.
 
A layup by C.J. Wilson tied the game at 52 for the Mountain Lions with 11:26 remaining, but the Pacers responded with a 19-9 run to open up a 69-59 lead on two Hendrix Emu with 5:32 to go. The closest the Mountain Lions would get the remainder of the game would be seven points (80-73) on a Darrius Sizemore three-pointer with 2:27 left.
 
Sledge led the Pacers, who shot 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the floor, with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Butler had 26 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds. Belfield (19) and Jevon Patton (12) also finished in double figures for USC Aiken, which outrebounded the Mountain Lions 47-33.
 
Wilson led Young Harris with 27 points while Waterhouse added 15 more. Devin Coleman and Walker each added 11 points. Walker and Marques McKoy led the Mountain Lions with eight rebounds apiece.