No. 16 Pacer women trying to keep pace

No. 16 USC Aiken at Armstrong Atlantic

When

Today, 5:30 p.m.

Where

Alumni Arena, Savannah, Ga.

What's on the line

If USCA has any hope of winning the Peach Belt Conference East Division title, it can't afford another loss. The Pacers (16-3, 9-2) are currently two games behind Lander (16-3, 11-0) for the top spot. Just seven regular season games remain, and two of those contests for USCA will be against Lander. That means the Pacers have control of the final result, but a third conference loss would definitely hinder their chances.

Armstrong Atlantic, on the other hand, is fighting for a spot in the PBC Tournament. Four teams from each division will get to go to Columbus State for the league tournament in March, and AASU currently is sitting in that fourth spot in the East. The Pirates (12-8, 6-6) are just one game ahead of Augusta State (10-10, 5-7), making every game crucial.

Players to watch

USCA -- Sophomore Kayla Harris continues to lead the Pacers in scoring and is seventh in the PBC with 13.9 points per game.

Senior forward Hannah DeGraffinreed is also among the league's best, coming in 10th with 12.4 points per outing, thanks to a 58.9 field goal percentage that ranks second in the PBC. Daniela Tarailo is second in the PBC with a 42 percent mark from 3-point range. Point guard Brittany Hill is second in the conference with 4.6 assists per game. She scored 19 points when the Pacers and Pirates got together in December.

AASU -- Powerful forward Mauri Wells is the team's top scorer and rebounder, averaging 13 points and 13.3 rebounds per contest. Those numbers place her eighth in scoring and first in rebounding in the PBC. Junior guard Demisha Mills is scoring 11.7 points per contest, while Jazmin Walker leads the team with 2.6 assists each time out. D.D. Gipson scored 17 points against the Pacers earlier this season.

Series

AASU holds a 20-18 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The Pacers swept the season series last year, winning 73-65 in Savannah, Ga., and 91-61 in Aiken. This will be the second meeting between the two clubs this season. USCA won the first 73-54 on Dec. 14.

Notes

AASU has won four of its last six contests and is 9-5 on its home floor this season. ... DeGraffinreed is approaching 1,000 points in her USCA career. She sits at 912 entering today's game. ... USCA is 21-0 over the last two seasons when holding its opponents to fewer than 50 points. ... The Pacers finished the month of January with a 7-2 record, after going 5-0 in December.