AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta men's basketball turned in a balanced offensive effort and steady defensive performance to earn an 84-55 Peach Belt Conference win over Georgia Southwestern on Saturday evening at Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Jaguars move to 6-5 overall and 2-0 in league play, while the Hurricanes fall to 6-2 on the season and 1-1 in the PBC.
Augusta shot 50.8 percent (32-for-63) from the field, 45.5 percent (10-for-22) from three-point range, and 71.4 percent (10-for-14) at the free throw line. Georgia Southwestern finished 34.7 percent (17-for-49) from the floor, 30.4 percent (7-for-23) from beyond the arc, and 63.6 percent (14-for-22) at the line.
The Jaguars used an efficient first half to build early separation, going 57.7 percent from the field and 71.4 percent (5-for-7) from three to take a 41-21 lead into the break. Augusta continued to control the tempo in the second half, outscoring the Hurricanes 43-34 and never allowing the margin to fall back into single digits.
Luis Nonfon led four Jaguars in double figures with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting, adding eight rebounds, one assist, and one block in 31 minutes. Matias Zanotto followed with 16 points, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and chipped in six rebounds and three assists.
Off the bench, Tobias Prall added 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 4-for-7 from three-point range, while Camryn Pacheco supplied five points, one assist, and one steal. Rodney Scott turned in an efficient line of eight points on 4-for-4 shooting with three rebounds and three assists. Charlie McBeath finished with six points, five rebounds, and three assists, and Elías Pálsson added seven points and one assist.
Augusta held a 38-30 advantage on the glass and converted 16 second-chance points compared to 10 for Georgia Southwestern. The Jaguars also owned a 38-20 edge in points in the paint, a 15-8 margin in fast-break points, and outscored the Hurricanes 28-12 in bench points. Augusta forced 10 Georgia Southwestern turnovers and turned them into 12 points on the other end.
Georgia Southwestern was led by Amir Reaves with 17 points and three rebounds. Markel Freeman added 15 points, including three three-pointers, while JR Jacobs chipped in seven points.
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