Luck might be in the mustache

AIKEN - Benazura Serbecic doesn't approve. She didn't from Day 1.

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USC Aiken women's coach Mike Brandt decided to be different after Christmas. He began growing a Fu Manchu mustache, surprising his players.

"I don't like it," Serbecic said. "Every practice, I tell him to shave his face."

Maybe Serbecic should reconsider, especially after Wednesday night.

The Lady Pacers held USC Upstate to 24 percent shooting as they breezed to a 63-36 victory in their Peach Belt Conference opener at the Courthouse.

USC Aiken improved to 7-0 at home and 11-4 overall. More importantly, the team is 2-0 with Brandt's new facial hair.

"Maybe it'll bring us good luck during the season," said Serbecic, who recorded a game-high 15 rebounds.

Lana Mandic scored 18 and Kasey Mills added 16 as USC Aiken extended its winning streak to 11 over USC Upstate. The Lady Spartans last defeated the Lady Pacers on Feb. 10, 1999.

USC Aiken allowed its second lowest point total to a conference foe since a 42-34 win over Augusta State in 2001.

"Our defensive intensity was excellent," Brandt said. "Our defensive pressure was some of the best we've had in a long time."

USC Aiken held the Lady Spartans (7-5, 0-1) to two field goals the final 14 minutes of the first half.

Katie Gebhardt converted a three-point play as the Lady Pacers scored the final eight points of the half. USC Aiken led 26-11 at the break.

Early in the second half, Mills scored seven straight to turn the contest into a blowout. After a 3-pointer, she stole a pass and scored on a fast-break layup. Mills popped a 14-foot jumper to extend the margin to 39-18 with 13:48 remaining.

USC Upstate freshman guard Keoshia Worthy, a Glenn Hills graduate, returned to the Augusta area for the first time. She went 2-for-8 from the floor for seven points with two assists.

USC UPSTATE (7-5, 0-1)-Stephanie Feyes 0-7 1-2 1, Lele Miles 2-7 0-0 4, Yakeeshia Ross 4-11 0-2 8, Vania Redd 1-5 1-2 4, Keoshia Worthy 2-8 3-4 7, Karmella Wynne 1-2 0-0 2, Toya Shuler 0-3 0-0 0, Shannon Pallardy 2-4 0-0 6, Shavon Thompson 0-5 0-0 0, Julia Blandin 1-5 0-0 2, Nika Rutledge 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 14-59 5-10 36.

USC AIKEN (11-4, 1-0)-Lana Mandic 7-16 4-6 18, Katie Gebhardt 4-6 1-1 11, Benazura Serbecic 2-11 0-0 4, Kasey Mills 7-13 0-0 16, Mindy Allee 2-4 1-2 5, Beata Szabo 0-2 0-0 0, Eboni Speller 1-4 0-0 2, Nola Grant 3-12 1-2 7. Totals: 26-68 7-11 63.

Halftime: USC Aiken 26-11 3-point goals: USC Upstate 3-16 (Feyes 0-5, Redd 1-2, Worthy 0-2, Shuler 0-2, Pallardy 2-4, Rutledge 0-1), USC Aiken 4-11 (Mandic 0-1, Gebhardt 2-3, Mills 2-5, Speller 0-2). Rebounds: USC Upstate 41 (Miles 8), USC Aiken 51 (Serbecic 15). Assists: USC Upstate 8 (Worthy 2), USC Aiken 20 (Allee 6). Turnovers: USC Upstate 25, USC Aiken 18. Fouls: USC Upstate 14, USC Aiken 12. Fouled out: none. A-695.