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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University men's basketball team played the Bowie State Bulldogs in a non-conference game for the sixth season in a row and dropped a 91-80 contest in their first official home game of the 2017-18 season.
For the past six seasons, the Jags (2-3) and Bulldogs (2-4) have alternated hosting duties. Augusta is now 4-2 against Bowie State dating back to the 2012-13 season.
Entering the game averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game, AU junior Deane Williams put up 13 points and seven rebounds, while senior Tamyrik Fields and junior Tyvez Monroe each had 17 points. Junior Aaron Byrd scored 14 points and had three assists.
Augusta and Bowie State each shot 50 percent from the floor, but the Bulldogs were 78.4 percent (29-of-37) from the free-throw line to AU's 71 percent (22-of-31). BSU made six three pointers to Augusta's four and scored 15 points off of 12 Augusta turnovers.
The Jags won the opening tipoff and Fields scored the first bucket of the game, but Bowie State took control of the lead and did not give it up the rest of game. The Bulldogs were ahead by as much as nine at one point and went into the half on top 39-35.
Fields had 10 points in the first half to lead the Jags. AU missed all four three-point attempts in the first half, while BSU connected on three deep shots.
After missing their first six shot attempts from three-point land, Augusta made their first at the 12:49 mark of the second half when Aaron Byrd buried one at the top of the key off an assist from Fields to cut their deficit to 58-50.
Bowie led by double-digits for most of the first 10 minutes into the second half. Augusta found life when Monroe and Byrd hit back-to-back three pointers to pull the Jags within six, but the Bulldogs had an answer at every turn and held off Augusta 91-80.
The Jaguars begin Peach Belt Conference play on Saturday, Dec. 2 when they play at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga., at 3:30 p.m.
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