Kirby, Viti lead AU men past Brewton-Parker, 86-73
By Justin Gray | Sports writer
The Augusta University men’s basketball held its annual Education Day basketball game on Thursday, Dec., when more than 2,000 Richmond County fifth-graders are brought in to watch the game.
“Unbelievable crowd, Richmond County schools and Queensborough,” said AU Coach Dip Metress. “We really appreciate their efforts to help us and sponsor this thing.”
This year the Jaguars gave them quite a show with an 86-73 victory over Brewton-Parker College (4-10).
It didn’t take the Jaguars long to find their rhythm as they gained a 21-8 lead just four minutes into the game. 14 of those 21 points came from Ja’Queze Kirby, who knocked down four shots from behind the arc, he also added an electrifying dunk to send the young crowd into a frenzy.
Augusta (5-2) dominated the rest of the half, leading 48-31 at the break. A big reason why is because the Jaguars shot 47 percent from the field and 52 percent on three-pointers.
Kirby finished the half with 21 and Demitri Gardner followed with nine. Carson Seemann finished the half with five assists, much needed for the Jaguars with starting point puard Zyere Edwards in foul trouble.
In the second half, the Jaguars didn’t play their best game in the second half as Brewton-Parker cut the lead to nine points, but the Jaguars were able to hold on to get the win and get some young guys some valuable minutes.
After the buzzer sounded, the players met up and signed autographs for the kids. The kids wanted everything from their head to their toe signed. One fifth-grader even asked AU senior David Viti to sign his arm. Viti just laughed it off, saying: “I can’t sign your arm.”
Senior Timmy Sellers stayed on the court for more than 30 minutes signing autographs for the kids, he made sure everyone in the gym got one.
“It felt great to score the ball,” said junior Ja’Queze Kirby, who had 25 points in the win. “I knew once the first one fell, I felt like today was going to be a good day for me.”
Kirby, who was coming off illness and a few sub-par games, opened the contest with four straight 3-pointers. He also had a spectacular dunk in the second half.
Junior center Max Amadasun didn’t have a great day, but still came away with a double-double (13 points 12 rebounds). Gardner finished with 13. Seemann, the sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, finished with six assists.
Viti was second in scoring on the team with 19 points and shot 4 of 5 from the 3-point line.
“The millhouse guys are stepping up and giving us good minutes, and that’s kind of what we were missing at the beginning,” he said. “Me, Kirb and Max had a lot on our shoulders, and the other guys are stepping up.”
Grant Sanders led the Barons with 24 points. Dre Burroughs added 18 points and Lance Smith 17 for the Mount Vernon (Ga.) college.
Metress, whose team has won three straight after losing to Fayetteville State and Benedict, knows his team still needs some work, particularly passing the ball. Yet it was a satisfying victory.
“It was good for us to get a win and take off for exams,” said Metress.
The Jaguars will be back in action again on Dec. 18, at home against Reinhardt University. This will be the Columbia County Education Day. The game will tip off at 11 a.m..
Ja’Queze Kirby (3) made four straight 3-pointers to start the game and led the Jaguars to an 86-73 win over the Brewton-Parker Barons. Kirby finished with 25 points. (staff photo) At the top of the page, Kirby goes up for a slam dunk in the second half. (photo by Domonic Macias)
Carson Seemann (4) had six assists for the Jaguars. Here he shoots over the Barons’ Dre Burroughs (2) at Christenberry Fieldhouse on Richmond County Education Day. The Jaguars take 11 days off for exams before hosting Reinhardt University for Columbia Education Day on Dec. 18. (staff photo)
