GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Augusta State placed four players in double figures Saturday afternoon and registered a 65-60 Peach Belt Conference victory over Lander in the regular-season finale for both teams in Finis Horne Arena.
With the victory, the Jaguars improved to 25-3 on the season and finished their PBC schedule at 15-3. ASU tied the 2009-10 squad for the most-regular season wins in school history. Senior guard Caleb Brown moved past former standouts Daniel Dixon and Ben Madgen to become the winningest player in school history at 111-19 (.853).
The Bearcats wrapped up their season with a 10-16 overall mark and 3-15 in the league.
Senior forward Franck Ndongo registered his sixth double-double of the season with 17 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and three steals. Junior point guard O'Neal Armstrong tallied 11 points and five assists and Tye Beal and Ben Purser had 10 points each. Purser and Beal connected on five of the Jags' six 3-pointers.
Lander's David Pruett drilled seven 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 26 points, including 18 in the second half. Senior Tovi Bailey, the Bearcats' only senior, notched 11 points and eight assists in his final career game.
The Jags, who never trailed en route to their 10th straight victory in the series, jumped ahead 23-9 in the first half on an Armstrong jumper with 9:20 remaining. ASU connected on only two field goals the rest of the half as the Bearcats capped a 17-6 spurt with consecutive 3-pointers from Bailey to pull within 29-26 at the break.
Lander pulled within two on a pair of occasions, the last on a Pruett trey at the 15:12 mark of the second half. ASU answered with nine straight points, the last on a Purser 3-pointer at the 12:30 mark.
The Bearcats cut their deficit to 47-42 on a Pruett trey before ASU countered with six straight. The Jags pushed their lead to 56-43 on a free throw from Brown with 3:46 to play. LU battled back with an 8-0 spurt as Pruett's 3-pointer with 1:19 left pulled the Bearcats within 58-53.
Armstrong hit a jumper with 57 seconds to go and the Jags made five-of-six free throws for the final margin.
ASU shot 48.9 percent for the game, including 62.5 percent in the second half. The Bearcats shot 40.9 percent for the game, but connected on 9-of-16 3-point attempts (56.3 percent). The Jags owned the rebounding edge, 33-22.
The Jags will host Francis Marion, the PBC East Division's No. 4 seed Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m., in Christenberry Fieldhouse in the first round of the conference tournament. ASU swept the season series with the Patriots, who topped Armstrong Atlantic State 85-77 Saturday afternoon.
