Box Score

ST. AUGUSTINE – USC Aiken used a 19-2 run which lasted 7:33 to pull away from Flagler College and pick up a 71-53 win in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Flagler Gymnasium.

With today's win, USC Aiken claims the outright Peach Belt Conference men's basketball championship with a 14-4 record. The Pacers already claimed the East Division title earlier and close out the regular season with a 20-6 record. USC Aiken will take on the No. 4-seed in the West Division in the upcoming conference tournament in Columbus, Ga. Flagler ends its season with a 9-17 overall record and a 2-16 mark in conference play.

After falling behind by 10 points early in the first half, a Ryan Barnes (Oviedo, Fla., Newberry College) 3-pointer brought the Saints back to within three (28-25) with 2:20 left in the first half.

The Pacers closed the first half on a 6-0 and went into the locker room with a 35-25 lead. They came out of the half on a tear with a 13-2 run capped by a 3-pointer by Jesse Seilern to give the Pacers a 47-27 lead.

Flagler was able to chip away and pull to within 10 points (61-51) on another 3-pointer by Barnes, but the Saints could not get any closer.

Joel Gerbolini came off the bench to lead a balanced Pacer scoring attack with 14 points and added eight rebounds and three steals. Ronald Zimmerman added 13 points coming off the bench while Sterling Council tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and handed out five assists. Chase Holmes supplied 10 points and eight rebounds.

Barnes scored a game-high 16 points and sank four 3-pointers for the Saints. Jarrod Branco (Hudson, Fla., Hudson HS) added nine points and three assists. Flagler's lone senior, Justin Stokes (Jacksonville, Fla., Florida Gulf Coast U.), chipped in with five rebounds, four points and two blocked shots. 

USC Aiken vs Flagler
02/25/12 4 p.m. at St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
At St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)

USC AIKEN 71, FLAGLER 53

USC AIKEN (20-6, 14-4 PBC)
Joel Gierbolini 4-9 6-8 14; Ronald Zimmerman 4-7 2-3 13; Sterling Council
4-5 3-4 12; Chase Holmes 4-7 2-5 10; Re'mon Nelson 4-7 0-0 8; Marquett Carr
2-4 0-0 5; Rick Alderman 1-5 2-4 4; Jesse Seilern 1-5 0-0 3; Jeremiah Pojah
1-1 0-0 2; Arlen Wiley 0-0 0-0 0; Terrance Dent 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-52
15-24 71.

FLAGLER (9-17, 2-16 PBC)
Ryan Barnes 5-10 2-2 16; Jarrod Branco 3-5 3-4 9; Addison Smith 3-7 1-4 7;
Desmond Gibson 3-5 0-0 6; Matt Clark 1-14 3-5 5; Jordan Warner 2-2 0-2 4;
Justin Stokes 2-7 0-0 4; Elijah Hayes 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 20-51 9-18 53.

USC Aiken.....................   35   36  -   71
Flagler.......................   25   28  -   53
3-point goals--USC Aiken 6-12 (Ronald Zimmerman 3-4; Sterling Council 1-1;
Jesse Seilern 1-3; Marquett Carr 1-2; Terrance Dent 0-1; Re'mon Nelson 0-1),
Flagler 4-14 (Ryan Barnes 4-6; Addison Smith 0-1; Desmond Gibson 0-1; Matt
Clark 0-6). Fouled out--USC Aiken-None, Flagler-Jarrod Branco. Rebounds--USC
Aiken 41 (Joel Gierbolini 8; Chase Holmes 8), Flagler 28 (Matt Clark 6).
Assists--USC Aiken 14 (Sterling Council 5), Flagler 11 (Elijah Hayes 5).
Total fouls--USC Aiken 18, Flagler 19. Technical fouls--USC Aiken-None,
Flagler-None. A-441