SALISBURY, N.C. – The Augusta University women's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with a 61-53 road victory over Catawba College on Tuesday evening at Goodman Arena. The Jaguars outscored Catawba 20-13 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Quinasia Abercrombie led Augusta with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 11-of-16 from the field while adding four steals and three assists. Trinity Thomas and Shiyah Forte each finished with nine points, while Sierra Burns added eight points. Zahkiyyah Frazier pulled down 10 rebounds off the bench.
Augusta got on the board with a fast-break layup from Abercrombie before Thomas scored five consecutive points, including a three-pointer, to give the Jaguars a 7-2 lead. Catawba responded and briefly moved ahead late in the quarter, but Frazier put Augusta back in front with a basket at the 1:52 mark. Mahkayla Premo connected on a three-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Jaguars a 16-12 advantage after the opening period.
The Jaguars extended their lead to six early in the second quarter before Catawba put together a 6-0 run to take a 23-20 lead midway through the period. Abercrombie answered with a layup, and Sa'Niah Dorsey added a basket to put Augusta back in front. The Indians regained the lead late in the quarter and carried a narrow 25-24 advantage into halftime.
Catawba stretched its lead to six in the third quarter, but Augusta responded behind Abercrombie, who scored 12 points in the period. A three-pointer from Abercrombie with 1:14 remaining cut the deficit to one before she completed a three-point play to tie the game at 40-40. Frazier added a free throw in the final seconds to give the Jaguars a 41-40 lead heading into the fourth.
Augusta carried that momentum into the final period, opening the quarter with six unanswered points. Thomas started the run with a jumper before Abercrombie added a layup and two free throws to extend the lead to 47-40.
Forte helped the Jaguars pull away midway through the quarter, scoring six points during a stretch that pushed Augusta's advantage to 55-45 with 5:03 remaining. Catawba answered with a late run to cut the deficit to four, but Burns converted four free throws in the final 14 seconds to secure the victory.
Augusta finished the game shooting 38.3 percent from the field while holding Catawba to 29.3 percent shooting. The Jaguars held a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint and scored 20 points off 17 Catawba turnovers.
Brayla Harris led Catawba with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Sheree Gidney added nine points. The Indians fell to 0-1 with the loss.
Next Up: Augusta continues its road trip Saturday, Nov. 14, against Barton College at 3 p.m. in Wilson, North Carolina, before facing North Greenville on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m., also in Wilson. The Jaguars return to Augusta for their home opener and Education Game against Emmanuel University on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. inside Christenberry Fieldhouse.
