PEMBROKE, N.C.
– Augusta State placed all five starters in double figures
Monday night and held off a valiant effort from UNC Pembroke for an
82-77 Peach Belt Conference road win at the English E. Jones
Center.
With the victory, ASU (20-12, 12-1) recorded its fourth consecutive
20-win season and its 15th straight win against the Braves. The
victory lifted the Jaguars to 101-21 overall and to 60-9 in the PBC
since the beginning of the 2006- 07 campaign. The win also gave
head coach Dip Metress his sixth 20-win season in 14 years as a
head coach.
ASU's Fred Brathwaite booked his fourth 20-point effort of
the season, finishing with a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds
and four assists. Ben Madgen netted 17 points and five boards,
while Greg Hire connected on 7-of-8 attempts and tallied a
career-high 16 points. Daniel Dixon and Alex Smith managed 10
points each.
The 12th-ranked Jags, who knocked off UNCP by 46 points on Jan. 20
in Christenberry Fieldhouse, shot 56 percent in the first half and
led 39-32 at the half. The Braves (8-15, 4-10), who were coming off
consecutive wins over Francis Marion and Flagler, shot 55 percent
in the second half and outscored ASU 36-34 in the paint.
UNCP's Chris Hargrove pitched in a game-high 25 points on
10-of-18 shooting. Marcus Heath carded 12 points and nine assists
and Shahmel Bracket and Taylor Hukill chipped in 11 each.
In a contest that featured four ties and 10 lead changes, ASU
trailed by two after a Heath 3-pointer put the Braves ahead 69-67
with 5:15 to play. Brathwaite immediately answered with a
three-point play and Dixon scored six points in the final 3:47 to
thwart UNCP's upset bid.
The Jags host 21st-ranked Georgia College & State on Thursday,
Feb. 11 in a key PBC showdown in Christenberry Fieldhouse at 7:30
p.m.
