Garret Siler has a pleasant problem.

With interest high in tonight's top-10 matchup between USC Aiken and Augusta State, Siler has had to laugh off any outside ticket requests.

"I only get four tickets," he said. "And they go to my family."

When the second-ranked Pacers tip off against the seventh-ranked Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. at Christenberry Fieldhouse, history will be made.

In the 50th meeting of the schools, tonight's game marks the first top-10 matchup between the schools as well as any Peach Belt Conference teams.

"I think it's going to be one of the most exciting basketball games this area's seen in a long time," USC Aiken coach Vince Alexander said.

"It's going to be a high level of basketball," Augusta State coach Dip Metress said. "They've got a very good team. There's a reason they were picked to win the league."

USC Aiken is off to a 7-2 start, including wins in its first two Peach Belt contests. The Pacers lost a pair of games at the Florida Southern Tournament last week before returning home Saturday to defeat North Georgia.

USC Aiken won without its second-leading scorer, Josh Dollard. Dollard, who transferred to USC Aiken last fall, is averaging 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. But the junior forward was indefinitely suspended before Saturday's game for violation of athletic department policy. Alexander said Dollard remained questionable for tonight's tilt.

"We'll see from game to game," Alexander said, "whether we can come together and be on the same page."

Metress said his team has two game plans for USC Aiken -- one that includes Dollard and one without him.

"It's like if we had Garret or if we didn't have Garret," Metress said. "It's two different teams."

Augusta State also owns a 7-2 overall record, but the Jaguars fell to 1-1 in conference play after a loss at No. 25 Clayton State on Saturday.

Against USC Aiken, Augusta State will face its third top-25 opponent in eight days. The Jaguars defeated No. 14 Catawba on Monday at a neutral site.

"With the schedule we've played right now 7-2 is about right," Metress said. "The main thing now is to get to 2-1 (in conference play) and protect home court. Teams that win the league win at home and win as many as they can on the road."

Augusta State won the Peach Belt Conference regular season title in 2006-07. USC Aiken won it last season.

In last year's two meetings, each team defended its home court.

The Pacers will try to win at Christenberry Fieldhouse for the first time since Feb. 23, 2002.

Augusta State is 48-9 at home in five years under Metress.

Augusta State features conference leading scorer Ben Madgen (18.8 average) and Siler, the 7-foot center who commands attention inside the paint.

USC Aiken is led by senior forward Chris Commons, who's averaging 18.6 points and 7.4 boards a game.

Players from both teams have been anticipating today's matchup. But Augusta State senior point guard Steve Smith downplayed the significance of the contest.

"It's a rivalry, of course," he said. "But in actuality, it's just another game. We have to treat it like another game."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.