DAHLONEGA, Ga. -- Augusta State rallied from a
late six-point deficit to clam a 107-100 double-overtime victory
over North Georgia Saturday in Memorial Hall.
With the win, the No. 7 Jaguars improved to 12-2 overall and 6-1 in
the Peach Belt Conference. The loss dropped the Saints to 8-5
overall and 2-5 in the league.
The victory lifted ASU to 6-2 in overtime under head coach Dip
Metress and matched the 1977-78 edition of the Jags for the
second-best start in school history. The 107 points scored were the
most by the Jags since a 115-47 victory over Carver on Nov. 21,
2004, a span of 135 games.
Junior guard Ben Madgen paced ASU with 29 points and Daniel Dixon
tallied 19 points -- all in the last 11 minutes of the game. Garret
Siler booked 16 points and nine rebounds, while Greg Hire notched a
career-high 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his third
double-double of the season. Caleb Brown had 12 points, including
eight in overtime, while Hire handed out a career-best six
assists.
The Jags played without the services of Siler and starting forwards
Fred Brathwaite and Hire down the stretch. Siler and Brathwaite
combined for 40 minutes after each fouled out in regulation, while
Hire fouled out just 29 seconds into the first overtime.
North Georgia's Anthony Rowe registered game highs of 30
points and 13 rebounds. LaBrian Lyons booked 21 points and Michael
Moynihan had 17 points and seven rebounds.
Dixon's first points of the game – a 3-pointer from the
left wing with 1:27 remaining in regulation – put the Jags
ahead 74-71 after the Saints had scored five in a row to knot the
game at 71-all. Madgen drained a pair of free throws for a 76-71
ASU lead with 1:01 to play.
Moynihan rattled in a trey with 47 seconds to go to get the Saints
within two at 76-74 before Rowe canned a pair of free throws with
13.1 seconds left for a 76-all tie.
Hire's off-balance jumper as the clock expired was off the
mark, sending the game to overtime.
The Saints jumped ahead 82-76 in the first 1:12 of overtime before
a Dixon 3-pointer pulled the Jags within three at the 3:10 mark. On
the Jags' next possession, senior point guard Steve Smith
drilled a trey from the left corner and was fouled. His free throw
completed the four-point play at the 2:41 mark and put ASU in front
86-85.
A pair of Moynihan free throws put the Saints up 85-83 with 1:26
left before Brown canned a trey on ASU's next possession for
an 86-85 Jaguar lead with 1:09 to play. Two Dixon free throws gave
the Jags an 88-85 advantage with 27 seconds left.
NGCSU countered with a layup from Rowe, and after a Moynihan foul,
Dixon drained two free throws for a 90-87 ASU lead with 8.2 seconds
to go. The Saints raced the ball up the floor and Lyons drilled the
game-tying trey from the top of the key with 1.3 seconds to force
double overtime at 90-all.
Dixon and Brown combined for nine straight points in the first 2:19
of the second extra stanza to give ASU a 99-95 lead. Four free
throws from Dixon and Madgen offset a layup from Lyons and put the
Jags ahead 103-98 with 47 seconds left. Dixon swished a pair from
the charity stripe with 30.7 ticks remaining for a 105-100 lead.
Tye Beal and Brown added two free throws in the last 19 seconds for
the final margin of victory.
The Jags shot 70 percent (7-of-10) from the field in overtime,
including 4-of-6 treys, and made 13-of-15 free throws in the final
10 minutes.
ASU will face its fourth nationally-ranked opponent of the season
on Monday, Jan. 19 when it squares off with No. 10 USC Aiken at
7:30 p.m. in the USCA Convocation Center.