By Chris Gay
Staff Writer, Augusta Chronicle
GREENWOOD, S.C. - As a freshman, a teary-eyed T.J. Ott watched as
Georgia College & State cut down the nets after coming from
behind to defeat Augusta State in the 1999 Peach Belt Conference
championship game.
On Saturday, Ott was the one holding the scissors.
Ott and Gary Boodnikoff combined for 35 points as Augusta State won
its first-ever Peach Belt
Conference tournament championship with a 60-46 win over
regular-season champion Armstrong Atlantic State at Finis Horne
Arena. The win sends the Jaguars to the NCAA Division II Tournament
for the first time since 1978.
``It killed us to sit there and watch them cut the nets two years
ago,'' Ott said. ``We just wanted it really, really bad. We put in
a lot of hard work to finally win it all.''
Ott, Boodnikoff and Festus Hawkins were named to the conference
all-tournament team. Ott led all scorers with 18 points, while
tournament MVP Boodnikoff added 17 and Festus Hawkins 11. Russell
Hinder had a team-high 11 rebounds and five assists.
The biggest surprise of the night was fifth-year senior Reggie
Rosier. Rosier had a career-high nine points and came up with big
play after big play, tipping in three missed shots and swishing a
second-half 3-pointer.
``It feels real good because I've been here the longest on the
team, even longer than the coach,'' Rosier said. ``I just felt I
had to step up and do what I could to help the team out.''
The Jaguars were 1-5 in their past six road games and needed to win
the conference tournament to take any possible bid out of the
selection committee's hands. Now, the team is moving on to the
32-team Division II Tournament, which most likely will begin
Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.
``It's hard to talk about them, because they played so hard and
gave so much. I'm so proud of these kids,'' Augusta coach Gary
Tuell said. ``They've come so far since October.''
The key to Augusta's night was slowing down Peach Belt Conference
Player of the Year Robert Campbell, who averaged 14.9 points and
5.2 steals per game this season. Smothered by Jaguars guards Jayme
Johnson and Boodnikoff, Campbell scored eight points with two
assists.
In the first half, Augusta trailed 4-2, but Ott sparked a 17-2 run
with a 3-pointer as the Jaguars bolted to a 19-6 lead. Later,
Boodnikoff caught a deflected pass on the baseline and dunked to
give the Jaguars a 16-point lead with 5:38 left before
halftime.
The Pirates made just five first-half field goals and trailed by 16
at the break.
Campbell made a steal near midcourt and then converted a
three-point play to pull the Pirates within 34-24. Later, Joel
Lecoeuvre nailed a 17-foot jumper to cut the lead to eight with
11:24 left.
Hawkins then made a free throw and Rosier knocked down a 3-pointer
from the left wing. After an Armstrong free throw, Rosier tipped in
a Hinder miss to give the Jaguars a 49-36 lead with 6:54
remaining.
With Augusta up 12, Boodnikoff made a free throw and added a layup.
Then on a dish from Chris Harriman, Boodnikoff threw down a
two-handed dunk. It was over at 56-39 with 3:14 remaining.
After the game, Boodnikoff said he still had not thought about the
Division II Tournament.
``I don't think it will (sink in) until next week when we
practice,'' he said. ``Jayme (Johnson) told me we had to practice
and I said, `Oh no.'''