AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State junior guard Ben
Madgen poured in a career-high 33 points to pace the No. 7 Jaguars
to an 87-76 Peach Belt Conference victory over second-ranked USC
Aiken Monday night in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
In front of a crowd of 3,109 – the second-largest in CFH
history -- ASU defeated the highest-ranked opponent in school
history and improved to 14-5 vs. nationally-ranked opponents in its
five seasons under head coach Dip Metress. The contest – the
50th meeting between the two rivals -- marked the first top-10
matchup between conference schools in league history.
The win lifted ASU to 8-2 overall, to 2-1 in the PBC and to 34-16
all-time vs. the Pacers. USCA dropped to 7-3 overall and to 2-1 in
the league and suffered its third loss in four games after the
opening the season with six straight wins.
The Jags bounced back from a sub-par shooting effort at Clayton
State with one of its best of the season. ASU shot 60.0 percent for
the game, including 66.7 percent in the second half, and limited
the Pacers to just 36.4 percent shooting in the final 20
minutes.
Junior forward Fred Brathwaite posted a career-best effort as well,
tallying 19 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of
the season. Senior center Garret Siler netted 10 points, five
rebounds and a season-high five blocks.
Pacer junior guard Javonte Clanton booked 24 points, while Cordaryl
Ballard registered 16 points and four assists. Senior All-American
Chris Commons finished with 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
ASU jumped out to a 20-9 lead and led by as many as 13 after a pair
of Siler free throws at the 6:48 mark of the first half. The Pacers
got as close as six on a Seth Leonard layup with 1:22 remaining
before the Jags got free throws from Jason Killeen and Ben Madgen
just before the half.
A Madgen 3-pointer four minutes into the second half put ASU ahead
54-39. The Jags maintained a double-digit edge until the Pacers
strung together a 9-0 spurt over a stretch of 3:06, closing to
within 65-60 on a trey from Clanton with 7:19 remaining.
ASU answered with seven straight points, including a trey from
senior point guard Steve Smith, and pushed its advantage back to
72-60 on a pair of Brathwaite free throws with 5:26 to go.
The Pacers never got closer than nine the rest of the way, and two
Madgen free throws gave the Jags their largest lead of the game at
84-68 with 1:36 left.
ASU hosts UNC Pembroke in the middle game of a three-game homestand
on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.