UNC-Pembroke knocks AU women out of contention for tourney berth with tight win
By Jack Johnson | Sports writer
Augusta’s women’s basketball team had hoped to celebrate its senior night on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Christenberry Fieldhouse with a victory over UNC-Pembroke, but the Braves prevailed 50-48—the second narrow win over AU during regular conference play.
Seniors Zairya West and Stella Logbognon both started the contest as part of their senior night celebration, as the Jaguars faced a must-win situation to move onto the postseason.
The first half of the game remained close with the Jaguars taking a 21-19 lead at halftime. Both teams were playing extremely well on the defensive side of the ball, only allowing 40 points combined between the two teams at the half.
The third quarter saw much of the same defensive intensity as the first half; however, it was the Braves who managed to take a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter while only allowing the Jaguars to score 10 points during the third period.
The fourth quarter was intense as it was only a two-point game with both teams needing a win to keep their post season hopes alive. It was a back-and-forth ball game that saw both teams score 17 points each during the quarter which was the highest scoring period for the game.
Sadly, the Jaguars could not provide enough offensive output and ultimately fell to the Braves (3-10, 3-11) by two points, thus eliminating any possibilities of a postseason for the Jaguars.
On the bright side, Kennedi Manning was able to continue her dominance posting a stat line of 17 points, 15 rebound, and two blocked shots.
“Her (Kennedi’s) ability to read defenses and adjust at such a young age is very impressive,” said AU Coach Millette Green. “Her rebounding average had been down from last year, so I challenged her to improve that and she has responded very well over the past few games.”
Manning has attributed her success on the court to the encouragement she receives from her teammates and coaching staff.
“We all had one goal of getting into the top four in the conference,” she said. “I just really wanted that spot and gave it my all to try and get there. It just so happened that we fell short.”
The Jaguars had one more contest scheduled for the regular season on Monday, March 1, against Columbus state university, but it has been canceled. This now means that the Jaguars have entered the offseason and will have a two-week pause as is required by NCAA rules before they gear back up in preparation for next season.
“I am extremely proud of my girls for sticking it out and never wanting to quit,” Green said. “We had a month-long break in the middle of our season due to Covid-19, and we never complained or even talked about the idea of quitting.”
With the 2020-2021 season coming to a close, the Jaguars are looking to prepare for next season. The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility for all of its athletes in response to the novel coronavirus pandemi, and it is possible for seniors West and Logbognon to return for next season.
Augusta finished the season 5-5 in the Peach Belt Conference, good for a tie for fifth place with Flagler. They Jaguars were 6-8 overall. The Braves had beaten the Jags 61-60 in overtime on Feb. 10. In a non-conference game between the two teams in December, Augusta won 77-51.
Contact Jack Johnson at jacjohnson@augusta.edu.
Kennedi Manning (24) attacks the basket in AU’s 50-48 loss to UNC-Pembroke. At the top of the page, Manning goes up for two of her 17 points. (photos by Carlos Rodriguez)
