AIKEN, S.C. -- Top-seeded and fifth-ranked Augusta State outlasted No. 24 Georgia College & State and advanced to Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game with a 79-74 semifinal win Saturday night at the USCA Convocation Center.

Inbounding the ball after GCSU's Ken Kemp made two free throws to cut ASU's lead to 75-74 with 29.1 seconds left in the game, Jaguar senior point guard Steve Smith fired a length-of-the-court pass to junior forward Fred Brathwaite, who hammered down a dunk and gave ASU a three-point cushion. Junior guard Ben Madgen drained two free throws with 16 seconds left for the final margin.

The win lifted ASU to 25-4, extended its winning streak to 11 straight and improved the Jags to 16-7 vs. nationally-ranked opponents under head coach Dip Metress. ASU, which earned its first trip to the PBC Tourney Championship game since the 2001-02 season, will face USC Aiken in Sunday's 4:30 p.m. championship game. The Pacers survived a four-overtime marathon with Armstrong Atlantic State, topping the Pirates 90-87. The PBC Tourney champion earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Madgen paced ASU with 18 points, while Brathwaite registered his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists. Daniel Dixon had 14 points and Garret Siler managed 12. Smith added nine points and handed out eight assists, one off his career high.

GCSU (22-6) was led by Shaun Keaton and Ken Kemp, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively. Ty Rowland added 12 points in the loss, while Josh Hurst led the Bobcats in rebounds with seven.

The Jaguars, who shot 60.7 percent in the first half and never trailed, streaked out to a 9-2 lead in the first 2:10 of the game behind the shooting of Madgen, Siler and Smith and stretched the margin to 13-5 at 16:16 when Madgen hit the first of two free throws after GCSU coach Terry Sellers was whistled for a technical foul.

The Bobcats bounced back when Keaton sank two free throws and Kemp and Rowland each hit threes to pull the Bobcats within one point at 15-14 with 14:21 left.

Brathwaite gave the Jags their first double-digit lead at 29-19 on a tip-in with 9:22 remaining. GCSU cut the lead to 31-27 at 6:37 on a Keaton three pointer then trimmed it to 37-36 at 4:12 on Kemp's three from the right side. Dixon hit a three at the buzzer to give ASU a 44-39 halftime lead.

Siler got the Jags out quickly in the second half when his free throw and field goal gave them a 48-39 lead at 18:27. ASU got its first double-digit lead of the half at 17:08 when Brathwaite's field goal made it 52-42.

The Bobcats scored six unanswered points to cut the lead to 69-66 on Keaton's two free throws at 6:14 then got it down to 71-69 on Keaton's three with 5:49 left. But the Jags roared right a back out to a 75-69 lead when Madgen hit a three at 5:23 and the front end of a one-and-one at 3:51.

ASU connected on 29-of-54 field goals for 53.7 percent, including 8-of-23 three pointers for 34.8 percent. The Jags also made 13-of-18 free throws for 72.2 percent.

GCSU was 19-of-51 from the field for 37.3 percent, including 13-of-36 from the three-point line for 36.1 percent. The Bobcats sank 23-of-29 foul shots for 79.3 percent.