Augusta University women’s basketball dominates USC Aiken, 67-37

By Jaxon Garner | Editor in Chief

AIKEN, S.C.—The Augusta University women’s basketball team (11-3, 3-1 PBC) cruised to a 67-37 victory over USC Aiken (3-11, 0-4 PBC) on Friday at the Convocation Center, led by a season-high 13 points from Yamani Paul.

The Jaguars bounced back from a tough 66-60 loss to Clayton State on Jan. 8 that snapped their six-game winning streak.

“Getting back in the win column is very important,” Augusta head coach Celeste Stewart said. “We play in a tough conference, so we had to come out with intensity today.”

The Pacers opened the game with a 4-0 lead on two jumpers from Paris Webster. Augusta responded with a 15-2 run, fueled by Mone Florence’s six points. The Jaguars forced six turnovers in the first quarter, converting them into 10 points, and ended the period ahead 19-10.

In the second quarter, USC Aiken leaned on 3-point shooting, cutting Augusta’s lead to 24-23 with under five minutes remaining. However, the Jaguars closed the half with a 7-0 run, five of those points coming from Paul, to take a 31-23 lead into halftime. Paul led the Jaguars with nine points at the break, while Webster paced the Pacers with eight.

“Yamani’s scoring started with her role on defense,” Stewart said. “She was aggressive, and that carried over to the offensive side. She played within our system.”

The third quarter featured tough defense from Augusta, as the Jaguars held the Pacers to just 2-of-12 shooting (16.7%) from the field and outrebounded them 13-11. Augusta capitalized on five offensive boards to score six second-chance points, extending its lead to 44-32 entering the fourth quarter.

“Effort, effort, effort,” Stewart said. “We’ve been talking about that since the Clayton State game. We didn’t do a good job of finishing there. Today, we turned up the heat, and it worked out for us.”

Augusta opened the fourth quarter on a 9-1 run, with Quinasia Abercrombie scoring four of her 12 total points during the stretch. The Jaguars continued to build their lead, ultimately finishing the game with a 30-point margin of victory.

Paul led Augusta with 13 points, while Abercrombie added nine rebounds to go along with her 12 points.

The Jaguars return home to host Flagler on Jan. 15, aiming to add another conference win.

“We still have to do a better job of moving the ball,” Stewart said. “We can’t be stagnant, and we have to maintain the defensive intensity.”

Yamani Paul (4) goes up for two of her season-high 13 points in the Jaguars’ 67-37 win at USC Aiken on Sunday, Jan. 12. At the top of the page, Paul puts up a 3-pointer (photos by Paula Toole/AU Athletics)

Autumn Phillips (5) brings the ball down the court in the Jaguars’ 67-37 win at USC Aiken on Sunday, Jan. 12. (photos by Paula Toole/AU Athletics)

Contact Jaxon Garner @jaxgarner@augusta.edu