GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Augusta State improved to 5-0 and picked up its second straight road win with a 73-61 Peach Belt Conference victory over Lander Saturday afternoon in Horne Arena. The contest marked the league opener for both teams.
With the victory, the 21st-ranked Jaguars (5-0, 1-0 PBC) won for the 11th time in its last 12 meetings with Lander. The victory also avenged last season's two-point road loss to the Bearcats.
ASU sophomore guard Devonte Thomas booked a game-high 19 points and hit three 3-pointers. Junior forward Harold Doby notched his second double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Devon Wright-Nelson netted 12 points and eight rebounds while senior Travis Keels enjoyed his best game of the season with 10 points and six boards. Sophomore point guard D'Angelo Boyce handed out 10 assists and Ryan Weems, the squad's leading scorer, had six points, three assists and three steals.
Senior point guard Corey Wright paced Lander with 16 points. David Pruett and Dermaine Smith chipped in 12 points each and Jareal Smith added 10.
The Jags built as much as a 15-point advantage in the first half and led 42-29 at the break behind 14 points from Thomas and 10 from Wright-Nelson. ASU shot 56.3 percent in the opening half and owned a 24-12 edge on the boards.
Lander crept within six of the ASU lead on five different occasions in the second half, the last on a Jareal Smith jumper with 1:32 left. But the Jags countered when Boyce's cross-court pass in the Lander zone found Thomas open on the right wing. He swished his third trey of the game for a 68-57 lead with 1:14 to play, and Doby and Boyce combined for the final seven points of the game.
ASU had its way inside, grabbing 47 rebounds to just 32 for the Bearcats. The Jags registered 44 points in the paint and outscored the LU bench, 24-3.
The Jags open their conference home schedule on Monday, Dec. 17 when they welcome 2012 NCAA Tournament runnerup Montevallo for a 7:30 p.m., showdown in Christenberry Fieldhouse.