AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta (16-7, 11-5 Peach Belt) turned in one of its most complete performances of the season Wednesday evening, rolling past Lander (7-14, 5-9 Peach Belt), 71-39, on Military Appreciation Day at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The Jaguars set the tone from the opening tip, holding Lander scoreless for nearly five minutes while building an early lead. Amari Jackson opened the scoring with a layup, and Augusta quickly stretched the margin behind aggressive defense and fastbreak opportunities. A three-pointer from Quinasia Abercrombie midway through the first quarter pushed the lead into double digits, and Sierra Burns followed with a steal and transition finish to keep the momentum rolling.

Augusta ended the first quarter up 21-5, limiting the Bearcats to just 2-of-12 shooting in the period.

The Jaguars continued to control the game in the second quarter, forcing turnovers and converting on the other end. Abercrombie scored in transition early in the quarter, and Augusta used another scoring spurt to extend the advantage to 30-10. Lander was unable to find consistent offense against the Jaguars' pressure, and Augusta carried a 39-16 lead into halftime.

Augusta stayed in control coming out of the break, opening the third quarter with strong defensive possessions and points in the paint. Jackson and Chloe Ross helped extend the lead inside, while Elyse Autrey added a three-pointer to keep the Jaguars rolling. Augusta outscored Lander 15-8 in the third to take a 54-24 lead into the final period.

The Jaguars finished the night by continuing to attack the basket and getting to the free throw line in the fourth quarter, holding Lander to 39 points for the game.

Abercrombie led Augusta with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three. Jackson added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double. Burns chipped in nine points, four assists and four steals, while Autrey finished with seven points and three assists. Ross added six points and two blocks.

As a team, Augusta shot 48.0 percent from the field (24-of-50) and 66.7 percent from three (6-of-9), while forcing 23 turnovers and turning them into 23 points. The Jaguars also held a 34-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Next up
Augusta travels to USC Aiken on Saturday, Feb. 14 for a rivalry Peach Belt matchup. Tipoff is set for 1:30pm.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags