FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University freshman center Alex Atkinson scored a career-high 22 points, but the Patriots fell to a hot-shooting USC Aiken squad 110-69, Thursday night (Dec. 19) in non-conference men's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion will now break for the Christmas holidays.  The Patriots return to action on Jan. 4 with a Conference Carolinas game at Southern Wesleyan University.  Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.  The next home contest will be Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. against Chowan University.
 
Atkinson connected on 8-of-15 field goal attempts and was 6-of-7 at the free throw stripe.  The 6-7 product of Lower Richland High School also hauled down seven rebounds.
 
Junior forwards Jordyn Surratt and Latavian Lawrence each chipped in 10 points.
 
Senior guard Jalen McCoy led seven USCA (7-3) players in double figures with 20 points.
 
The Pacers scored the game's opening five points and never trailed.  After Atkinson converted a pair of free throws to trim the margin to 5-2, USCA produced a 15-2 run that quickly swelled the margin to 20-4.   
 
Trailing 26-7, Francis Marion scored nine straight points to cut the deficit to 26-16 after two free throws by junior swingman Andres Arellano Jr. near the midway point of the first half.  The Pacers responded with seven straight points and the margin never dipped below 15 points for the remainder of the contest.
 
USCA held a 54-34 advantage at halftime.
 
Francis Marion shot 37.1 percent from the floor and hit 19-of-30 free throw attempts, while USCA connected on 60.3 percent of its field goal attempts and was 12-of-17 at the line.