AU basketball teams hit the road for non-conference games
Staff report
The Augusta University men and women’s basketball teams each face another non-conference game before Peach Belt Conference action picks up the pace in the New Year—and both are on the road.
The AU men, who have won six in a row, will travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to play Converse University on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4 p.m.
The Jaguar women will play at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m.
The Jaguar men (1-0, 6-4) are coming off a 105-96 win over Peach Belt rival USC Beaufort on Dec. 18 in the PBC opener for both teams. In that game at Christenberry Fieldhouse, Augusta shot 57 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line.
The Jaguars were led by Demitri Gardner with 29 points and Max Amadasun with 19 points and 18 rebounds. Amadasun is the reigning PBC player of the week. John St. Germain III and Evan Joyner each chipped in 18 points for AU.
Converse enters Saturday’s game with a 3-5 record after routing Francis Marion 92-69 on Dec. 17. Kyle Monk led the Valkyries with 23 points.
“Our goal is to win the next game and come back after Christmas with the right focus,” AU Coach Dip Metress said, as his team goes after its seventh straight win on Saturday.
The AU women (1-0, 7-2) are coming off a road win at Livingstone College. Mone Florence and Autumn Phillips each had 10 points to lead the Jaguars in that contest.
Benedict is 3-5 and coming off a 52-51 win over Tuskegee. Taylor Christmas led the Tigers with 14 points. Christmas hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the win.
Following the Christmas break, Coach Celeste Stewart’s AU women will have one more non-conference game, on Jan. 1, when they Jaguars host Emmanuel University at 4 p.m. Returning to PBC play, they will host Columbus State on Jan. 4 at 1:30 p.m., to be followed by the men’s game at 3:30 p.m.
Both Jaguar teams are currently tied for first place in the PBC standings.
AU’s Demitri Gardner (2) cans a two-pointer in the 105-96 win over USC Beaufort; Gardner had 29 points to lead all scorers. At the top of the page, Augusta center Max Amadasun (17) goes up for two of his 19 points, to go with 18 rebounds, in the victory over the Sand Sharks. (photos by Paula Toole/AU Athletics)
