PBC basketball teams fighting to the finish

GOING FOR WINS: Kayla Harris and USC Aiken’s women’s basketball team could have some large rewards in front of them if they can pick up some victories over the next two weeks.

Two weeks remain in the Peach Belt Conference basketball season, and the race to the finish should be an exciting one.

On the women's side, the first race to watch is for the top overall spot in the PBC. No. 17 Lander (13-1), No. 4 Clayton State (12-1) and No. 15 USC Aiken (12-2) all have a chance at capturing that spot. Every other team has at least five conference losses and appears to be out of the picture.

Lander and USCA will battle it out for the top spot in the PBC East Division. The Pacers got back in the race with a win at Lander last week, and they'll have the Bearcats in Aiken on Saturday with a chance to pull into a tie. Lander will first play Armstrong Atlantic State on Wednesday and then round out the season at home against Augusta State and UNC Pembroke after the meeting with USCA.

The Pacers will play at Augusta State on Wednesday and then have a home game with Francis Marion and a road trip to Flagler to end the season after the Lander game.

Both USCA and Lander, which handed Clayton State its only conference loss this year, will need some help to overtake the defending champion Lakers. Without a head-to-head meeting left, the Pacers and Bearcats will have to hope Clayton State, which has a four-game lead in the PBC West Division, slips up in one of its four remaining games - at Georgia Southwestern and at home against Columbus State, Montevallo and Georgia College.

The team that comes out on top in the PBC race will have a good shot at getting the top spot in the Southeast Regional rankings, and the opportunity to host the region tournament that comes with it. So there's a great deal on the line over the next two weeks.

All of the action at the top of the league, though, is only part of the story. Only eight spots are available in the PBC Championships - four from each division - and there are 10 teams still fighting for those positions.

In the East, UNC Pembroke (8-6), Armstrong Atlantic State (7-7) and Augusta State (6-9) are battling for the third and fourth positions, with Lander and USCA clearly locked into the top two spots. In the West, there are four teams fighting for three positions behind Clayton State. Georgia Southwestern (8-5) and Columbus State (8-5) are currently tied for the second seed, while North Georgia (5-8) and Montevallo (4-9) are trying to find a way to lock down the final bid.

There are even more teams alive for a position in the PBC Championships on the men's side. No. 20 USCA (11-3), the only ranked team in the league, holds the overall lead, just ahead of West Division leader Montevallo (9-4). The Pacers can almost lock up the East with a win on the road against rival Augusta State (10-5) Wednesday. USCA will also play at home against Lander and Francis Marion, and on the road against Flagler, before the season comes to an end.

Montevallo will end with road trips to Columbus State and Clayton State and at home against Georgia College and North Georgia.

As far as the race for the conference tournament, four teams are competing for two spots in the East. Augusta State has all but locked up a spot, but Lander (8-6), UNC Pembroke (8-6), Francis Marion (7-7) and Armstrong Atlantic State (6-8) all need wins down the stretch to make the field.

In the West, it looks as though the top four teams are basically decided. Montevallo, Columbus State (8-5), Georgia College (7-6) and Clayton State (6-7) should be in, but they're all fighting for seeding in the tournament.

The 2012 PBC Basketball Championships will be held March 1-4 in Columbus Georgia, hosted by Columbus State.

Women's Standings

PBC East

Team Overall PBC

Lander 18-4 13-1

USCA 19-3 12-2

UNCP 11-11 8-6

AASU 13-9 7-7

ASU 11-12 6-9

FMU 8-14 3-11

Flagler 2-20 1-14

PBC West

Clayton St. 22-2 12-1

Georgia SW 16-6 8-5

Columbus St. 13-9 8-5

N. Georgia 11-11 5-8

Montevallo 9-13 4-9

Ga. College 4-18 2-11

Men's Standings

PBC East

USCA 17-5 11-3

ASU 14-9 10-5

Lander 15-7 8-6

UNCP 14-10 8-6

FMU 14-10 7-7

AASU 10-12 6-8

Flagler 8-14 2-13

PBC West

Montevallo 18-6 9-4

Columbus St. 13-9 8-5

Ga. College 14-8 7-6

Clayton St. 14-8 6-7

N. Georgia 9-15 4-9

Georgia SW 12-10 3-10