AUGUSTA, Ga. -- No. 16-ranked and second-seeded USC Aiken shot a season-high 67.3 percent from the floor, hitting 33-of-49 shots en route to an 88-70 first-round victory over Lenoir-Rhyne at the 2009 NCAA DII Southeast Regional in Augusta, Ga., on Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers (24-7) advance to the semifinals to face No. 6 seed Catawba at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Lenoir-Rhyne (18-10) sees its season come to an end in its fifth NCAA berth and second straight season advancing to the Regionals.

USC Aiken placed five players in double figures, led by All-American Chris Commons’ 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the floor. Javonte Clanton added 19 points, including a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line, while Kingsley Oguchi chipped in 13 points, Cordaryl Ballard added 11 and Josh chipped in 10.

For Lenoir-Rhyne, Josh Rudder single-handedly kept the Bears within sight of the Pacers with a team-high 24 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, including two three-pointers, and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. D.J. Blackmon added 14 points and Marcus Hodges chipped in 13.

Commons set the tone in the first half, hitting 7-of-8 shots form the floor, leading all scorers with 17 points before intermission. Sometimes drawing four players when he had the ball in his hands, the Toledo, Ohio, native made back-to-back layups late in the first half to push the lead to 35-24 with 3:24 remaining. Dollard ended the half with an exclamation three-pointer with three seconds left, giving the Pacers a 14-point lead at intermission.

In the second half, the Pacers only slightly cooled from the floor, hitting 16-of-24 shots (66.7 percent) and building a 62-42 lead on an Oguchi three-pointer with 11:23 left. Five straight points by Rudder, capped by a three-point play, would bring the Bears to within 12, 76-64, with 4:27 remaining but that would be as close as Lenoir-Rhyne would get.

USC Aiken’s 67.3 percent from the floor was a season high, and the Pacers also hit 6-of-12 from three-point range (50 percent) and 16-of-21 shots from the free throw line (76.2 percent).

Lenoir-Rhyne hit 46.2 percent from the floor on the game (24-of-52 shots) and hit 6-of-16 shots from three-point range (37.5 percent). USC Aiken held a 32-17 edge in rebounding in the game.  (VIEW BOX SCORE)

Game Quotes

Lenoir-Rhyne Head Coach John Lentz
“We didn’t play very well and part of that has to do with USC Aiken, their a good basketball team. I was dissappointed we didn’t battle a little more today.”

“I think in times we lost confidence”

Lenoir-Rhyne guard Josh Rudder
“I think our team has grown alot over the years. We don’t ever give up. We played hard and when we get a couple of things going we do feel like we are in the game.”

On USC Aiken’s size:
“I give them a lot if credit they are big boys. I think we did all we could do with them. They are just really good players.”

USC Aiken Head Coach Vince Alexander
“Thank God for a good win, a good team, and guys who work hard. ”

“We came in this saying tbat defense and rebound was going to win this game.”

On importance of coming out to a fast start:
It was very important to us. We thought we needed to put a game together where we come out and just play as hard as we can”

On having five guys in double figures:
“That was our trademark coming in at the beginning of the season. When we have five or six players in double figures, we are playing Pacer basketball.”

USC Aiken Forward Chris Commons On last year’s first round loss:
“Last year was on my mind a lot, especially last night, I didn’t want to feel that, especially in my senior year.”

USC Aiken Guard Cordarly Ballard On USC Aiken’s rebounding advantage:
“We really wanted to focus on crashing the boards. We got second and third opportunities, more possessions is more points.”

“Offensive rebounds is about heart.”