AU men get first PBC win of season; Jag women win again, remain tied for first
By Justin Gray | Sports editor
Christenberry Fieldhouse was packed Wednesday night, Jan. 10, for Augusta basketball’s annual “Stuff the Stadium” game as the Jaguars ended a three-game losing skid and defeated Clayton State 73-61.
As soon as Demitri Gardner knocked down the first shot from the field, the crowd went wild, throwing their stuffed animals on the court. It was estimated that over 2,000 stuffed animals were thrown onto the court and collected to give out to area non-profit agencies.
After that, it was time to play basketball.
That they did, as the Jaguars played phenomenal defense and complementary offense. It was one of the best performances from the Jags all season.
They started out a little slow, and the Jaguars (1-2, 8-5) only held a four-point advantage with 3:30 left to go in the half. Augusta then forced three straight turnovers and extended the lead to 35-23.
After grabbing that lead, the referees called a foul on a play on which AU Coach Dip Metress thought Clayton State should’ve been called for a 5-second violation. He pleaded, “That’s five, that’s five!” Instead of getting the call he wanted, he was given two technical fouls and ejected from the game.
With AU Assistant Coach Zach Tinkham leading the way, the Jaguars held a 38-31 lead at the break.
After the half, the Jaguars controlled the rest of the game, keeping a 10-point lead most of the way. Senior David Viti put a stamp on the Augusta victory as he came flying through the paint for a slam dunk to extend the lead to 12.
The Jaguars never felt threatened in this one, having only trailed for 33 seconds in the entire game.
They were able to do that with excellent guard play from freshmen John St. Germain III and Zyere Edwards, who both played their best games to date.
St. Germain III posted 11 points, two rebounds and three steals.
“I think I still have things to improve on, like my shot,” said the guard from Charlottesville, Va. “The faith from my coaches and my teammates has also improved, like trusting me more.”
Edwards had 12 points in the win, going 3 of 4 from 3-point range. It was his best shooting performance of the regular season.
“My teammates in practice and coaches have been telling me to be more aggressive,” said the 5-foot-9 freshman from Savannah. “So, I just went out with that confidence and it showed.”
The Jaguars were led in scoring by Demitri Gardner with 15 points. David Viti followed with 13.
Max Amadasun and Ja’Queze Kirby both dominated the boards with nine rebounds a piece.
“It was good; the guys stormed my office after the win,” said Metress. “Proud of our guys winning. I put our team in a tough situation, but it was good to get a win at home.”
Travis Harper II led Clayton State (1-2, 5-8) with 16 points. He was the only Laker in double figures.
AU held Clayton to a 39-percent shooting night—and just 21 percent from 3-point range.
Before the men took the court, the Jaguar women picked up yet another conference win, this time over Clayton State, to improve to 3-0 in the conference and 9-4 on the season.
This game got out of hand fast as Augusta led 23-5 into the second quarter, just before securing a 28-10 halftime lead.
They would roll to what finished to be a 60-49 win, but some late points from Clayton State (1-2, 3-9) made it a closer game than it was.
Autumn Phillips kept her impressive season going with a 17-point shooting masterclass.
Tomiyah Alford followed with 10 points and six rebounds, and Brianna Meekins added nine points and eight rebounds.
This win extends the Lady Jaguars’ winning streak to five games. They are playing their best basketball of the season and remained tied with North Georgia and Lander for first place in the Peach Belt.
“It feels good to be 3-0,” said AU Coach Celeste Stewart. “We play in a tough conference, and our team has been able to respond well through the challenges so far. We still have a lot of basketball to play so we just need to stay focused on one game at a time.”
Jadah Waite led the Lakers with 12 points, and Deborah Redmon added 11.
Both the men and women’s teams will take on USC Aiken on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Christenberry. The women’s game starts at 1:30 p.m., with the men following immediately after. These are big games for both squads. Aiken is ranked 21st in the men’s NABC poll.
Contact Justin Gray at jusgray@augusta.edu.
Students throw teddy bears on the floor after the first made basket by the Jaguars on “Stuff the Stadium” night a Christenberry Fieldhouse. (photo by Paula Toole, AU Athletics) At the top of the page, freshman guard John St. Germain III (14) dribbles against the Lakers’ TJ Stargell, as St. Germain had his best outing in an AU uniform with 11 points and three steals. He got a rare start for the Jags. (photo by Justin Gray)
AU’s Demitri Gardner (with the basketball) goes up for two of his 15 points as the Jaguars ended their three-game losing streak with a 73-61 win over Clayton State at Christenberry Fieldhouse. Up next is a Saturday, Jan. 12, home date with rival USC Aiken at 3:30 p.m. (photo by Paula Toole, AU Athletics)
