AMERICUS, Ga. – In a game fitting for a regular-season home finale, Georgia Southwestern and the University of South Carolina Aiken traded punches for 40 minutes Wednesday night inside the Storm Dome.
When it ended, it was a single possession that separated them.
The Hurricanes (16-11, 9-10 PBC) fell 80-79 in a contest that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties, with a final three-point attempt at the buzzer just missing its mark in front of 1,493 fans on the 5th Annual Teddy Bear Toss.
Jacobs, Webster Deliver Double-Doubles
JR Jacobs recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 10 assists, adding five rebounds and two steals. He played distributor and closer, helping engineer GSW's late push.
Matthew Webster secured his third double-double of the year, finishing with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. The junior added two blocks and anchored the Hurricanes' interior presence throughout the night.
Keshawn Brown Jr. paced the scoring with 20 points, knocking down six three-pointers.
Amir Reaves added 14 points, while
Deonte Williams contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
GSW assisted on 19 of 27 made field goals and generated 19 fastbreak points in one of its more fluid offensive performances of the season.
Hurricanes Take Control Early
GSW carried a 33-29 lead into halftime after closing the opening period on a strong run fueled by transition buckets and ball movement.
The Hurricanes led for just over 10 minutes of game time but made the most of their stretches, building a five-point second-half advantage at 37-32 before the Pacers answered.
Second-Half Swings
USCA caught fire from beyond the arc in the second half, shooting 9-of-14 from three after the break. TJ Jackson finished with 32 points, including nine made triples, as the Pacers pushed ahead 71-63 with 5:50 remaining.
GSW responded behind Webster and Brown.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Webster trimmed the deficit, and Jacobs converted a layup plus a free throw to give the Hurricanes a 77-76 lead with 2:14 to play — their final advantage of the night.
One Possession Short
The difference came on second chances.
After Jacobs' three-point play, USC Aiken answered with a tip-in from Chedlet Delva to reclaim the lead. A late driving layup extended the margin to three.
Brown calmly hit two free throws with 24 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 80-79. Following a defensive stop and timeout with seven seconds left, Jacobs was challenged on a look from well beyond the arc at the horn, but the shot bounced off the back of the rim out as time expired.
USCA finished with 20 offensive rebounds and a 47-42 overall edge on the glass, allowing the Pacers to extend critical possessions down the stretch.
By the Numbers
- 2 – Double-doubles from Jacobs (12 pts, 10 ast) and Webster (12 pts, 11 reb)
- 16 – Lead changes in a game that never allowed separation for long
- 20 – Offensive rebounds by USC Aiken, leading to 15 second-chance points
- 19 – Assists on 27 made field goals for GSW
- 9 – Three-pointers by USC Aiken's TJ Jackson
- 10:08 – Time with the lead for the Hurricanes compared to 25:43 for the Pacers
- 1 – Point separating the teams at the final horn
Next Up
The loss drops Georgia Southwestern to 9-10 in conference play heading into the regular-season finale on Sunday afternoon at Columbus State..
