WILSON, N.C. – Charlie McBeath poured in 33 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as Augusta men's basketball defeated the University of Mount Olive, 89-77, Friday evening at Wilson Gymnasium in Wilson, North Carolina. The Jaguars built a 19-point halftime lead and held off a second-half rally to improve to 2-0 on the season.
McBeath led all scorers, shooting 11-of-15 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line while adding two assists and two steals. Matias Zanotto provided 14 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Daniel Daramola finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Carlton Young added 12 points and five rebounds, and Rodney Scott contributed eight points, five assists and four rebounds.
Augusta established control early, scoring the game's first five points on a layup from Young and a three-pointer from TJ Baker. Daramola added five early points to help the Jaguars build a 10-5 advantage before Zanotto began making an impact off the bench.
Leading 14-9, Augusta put together a 13-0 run that stretched its advantage to 27-9 with 10:25 remaining in the opening half. McBeath started the stretch with a layup before Zanotto scored nine consecutive points, including a three-pointer and a fast-break dunk following his own steal.
The Jaguars continued to control the opening period, extending their lead to 34-15 on a pair of Young free throws with just over five minutes remaining. McBeath added six consecutive points from the free-throw line before Christian Blomfelt knocked down two more to give Augusta its largest lead of the game at 40-19.
McBeath closed Augusta's first-half scoring with a driving layup, sending the Jaguars into the locker room with a 42-23 advantage.
Augusta shot 48.1 percent from the field in the opening half while limiting Mount Olive to 26.7 percent shooting. The Jaguars also held a 26-15 rebounding advantage through the first 20 minutes.
Mount Olive responded coming out of halftime, using a 14-2 run to cut Augusta's lead to 44-37 with 16:56 remaining. The Trojans continued to chip away at the deficit, eventually pulling within seven at 47-40 before McBeath answered with a layup.
McBeath helped steady the Jaguars during the middle portion of the second half, scoring six points during a stretch that pushed Augusta's advantage back to 55-43. Mount Olive continued to battle, cutting the deficit to six on an Oliver Roberts three-pointer with 10:27 remaining.
Augusta responded with baskets from Young, Scott and Daramola to rebuild a double-digit advantage. A Daramola layup made it 65-53 with 8:32 remaining, and the Jaguars maintained control through much of the closing stretch.
McBeath continued his strong second-half performance, scoring 23 points after halftime as Augusta repeatedly answered Mount Olive's attempts to close the gap. The Jaguars pushed their lead to 76-61 with 3:48 remaining before the Trojans made one final run.
Mount Olive cut the deficit to eight at 83-75 with 51 seconds remaining, but Augusta converted six free throws over the final 49 seconds to secure the 12-point victory.
The Jaguars finished the contest shooting 54.7 percent from the field, including 61.5 percent in the second half. Augusta held a 50-34 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded Mount Olive 40-39.
Augusta also connected on 28 free throws and recorded 16 assists, led by Scott's five.
Matt Kirby led Mount Olive with 18 points, while Jayden Daisy added 16. Chase Williams finished with 11 points for the Trojans, who fell to 1-1 on the season.
Next Up: Augusta returns to action Saturday, Nov. 14, against Barton College at 1 p.m. in the Jaguars' second game of the 45 Second Classic. The contest will take place at Wilson Gymnasium in Wilson, North Carolina. Augusta will then return home for its home opener against Newberry College on Saturday, Nov. 21, at noon inside Christenberry Fieldhouse.
