AIKEN, S.C. — With two seconds left on the clock, senior Arnold Coates puts up the jumper for the thrilling 67-66 win over Lander University on Homecoming night. With their win on the road against UNC Pembroke on Wednesday, USC Aiken ends the 2005-06 regular season with two victories. USC Aiken snaps a three-game losing streak to the Bearcats en route to their sixth overall and fourth Peach Belt Conference win.
For three Pacer seniors, the end couldn't have been sweeter. Coates' can be credited with the last-second win as well as chipping in nine points and nine rebounds. Richard Blocker fittingly led the Pacers with 18 points and eight rebounds, including 3-of-8 from deep. Senior Anthony Sampson grabbed time off the bench, with 13 minutes, two points, and one rebound.
The Bearcats jumped out early with a 16-8 lead in the first seven minutes, before a 9-2 Pacer run cut the game to just one point at 10:29 on the clock.
USC Aiken got their first lead of the night off a jumper from Tiago DePaula at 7:26 to put the Pacers up 21-20. The game would change hands eight times during the final six minutes of the half. The Pacers would get the last second half-time lead off a three-point bucket from Blocker.
The Pacers kept their lead thru the first three minutes of the second half before a jumper by the Bearcats Emanuel Hodrea at 16:26 sent Lander on a quick 7-0 run and the five-point lead (43-38).
Lukas Varga came up big for USCA with a three-pointer and a foul with just over 12 minutes remaining to cut the Pacers deficit to just one point with his four-point play. Blocker came out with another three of his own behind Varga's to give the Pacers the two point- lead (48-46). USCA led by as many as six through the next five minutes.
A three-pointer by Lander's TJ Greene at 7:16 on the clock cut the Pacers lead to just one. The game would battle close over the next few minutes with neither team leading by more than four.
In the final two minutes of the game, intensity and emotion filled “The Courthouse” floor. Josh Poston hit a huge three at 1:56 to put the Pacers back on top by two. Lander's Michael Griffin committed a costly foul to send Poston to the line, knocking down both, and extending USCA's lead to four.
With 50 ticks left on the clock Blocker dangerously fouls Jarred Jackson who hits both and cuts the Pacers lead to two. Then out of a time out Jackson fouls Poston, who again goes to line and knocks down both to put the Pacers ahead by four.
Greene finds teammate Griffin in the paint for a quick lay-up, cutting the Pacer lead to just two with 28 seconds remaining. USCA quickly calls a timeout to draw up the play; which is spoiled by Poston's turnover, giving Lander the ball with 23 ticks on the clock. This time Lander calls a timeout to draw one up and makes their play when Greene hit a huge three with 11 seconds left to give the Bearcats a one-point lead (66-65).
The Pacers run it down to 2.3 seconds before taking a timeout. Josh Poston is on the side to inbound the ball. He feeds it to Coates' down inside who takes his dribble and sinks the reverse lay up under the basket with 0.5 remaining. The Bearcats attempted to make the full-court heave but turned it over into Blockers hands as time expired.
