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By: Stephen Williams

AIKEN, S.C. – For the first time this season, the 19^th-ranked Columbus State University women's basketball team ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard as the Lady Cougars suffered a 78-67 defeat at USC Aiken on Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference game was played in the Convocation Center in Aiken, S.C.
 
Alexis Carter led the Lady Cougars with 18 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out with five minutes to play. Keyrra Gillespie was the only other Lady Cougar in double figures, finishing with 13 points.
 
"Hats off to USC Aiken today," head coach Anita Howard said. "They played us really tough throughout the game. We missed a lot of shots and just couldn't get anything going.
 
"The Peach Belt is a tough league and you have to have your best every night. I hope this is a good lesson for us moving forward."
 
The game started slow with two turnovers by each team in the first two minutes, but Columbus State (9-1, 3-1 PBC) jumped out to an early 6-0 edge.
 
USC Aiken (6-7, 2-2) finally got on the board with 5:28 showing in the first quarter and took its first lead after an 8-1 run. CSU answered right back though and held a 10-9 advantage after one.
 
The second quarter went back and forth through the early stages before USCA took the lead midway through. The Pacers opened up a six-point lead (26-20), but took just a 29-27 edge into the locker room at halftime. The deficit marked the first time the Lady Cougars had trailed at the break this year.
 
Columbus State came out in the third quarter and put together its best basketball of the day. Trailing 36-35, Gillespie connected to seesaw CSU in front and started a 12-3 spurt that gave the Lady Cougars their largest lead of the game at 47-39.
 
USC Aiken chipped a couple points of the lead before the quarter ended, but the Lady Cougars took a five-point margin into the final 10 minutes.
 
Carter scored on the opening possession of the fourth to stretch the lead back to seven, however USC Aiken then put together the run that ultimately gave it the victory.
 
Over the next 4:15, the Pacers outscored CSU 19-4 to lead 63-55 and they would not relinquish the advantage the rest of the way.
 
An Ashley Asouzu bucket and two free throws from Gillespie pulled CSU to within four (63-59) with four minutes to play, but the Lady Cougars would get no closer as USCA pulled away from the free throw line late.
 
Columbus State shot just 33.3 percent (27-of-81) from the field on the afternoon, including 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from the three-point line.
 
USC Aiken finished the game at 40.7 percent (24-for-59) overall and connected on 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) three-pointers.
 
The Lady Cougars will get a chance to rebound from their first loss on Monday night with a home date against Armstrong State. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.