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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Riding a 13-game win streak and fresh off a regular season and tournament championship, the Augusta University men's basketball team earned the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 seed Francis Marion in the NCAA Southeast Region Quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Queens is the top seed and host of the event at The Levine Center in Curry Arena.
In their last meeting, Augusta (26-5) and Francis Marion (21-8) battled to the final possessions, but AU prevailed 75-70. With the win, the Jaguars reached 20 wins for the 16th time in school history and the ninth time under head coach Dip Metress. Senior Deane Williams had 13 first-half points and finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the year and his fourth in a row. Jaguar junior Rafael Monteiro added 15 points with four boards and senior Tyvez Monroe delivered 14 points and five rebounds
Augusta is ranked No. 16 in the nation and won their 13th consecutive game to claim the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 10 with a wire-to-wire finish over rival USC Aiken. Augusta also won the PBC regular season, while senior Deane Williams was named the Defensive Player of the Year, the Co-Player of the Year, and first-team All-Conference. AU rookie Miguel Arnold was voted Co-Freshman of the Year, Dip Metress was named Coach of the Year, and junior Rafael Monteiro was named second team All-Conference. Augusta has the third best three-point percentage in all of Division II and hasn't lost since Jan. 30 to USC Aiken.
This is Augusta's 12th selection ('78, '01, '02, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '14, '15, '17, and '19) to the NCAA Tournament and the ninth in the last 13 years for Metress. Augusta is making the postseason for the 14th time overall after reaching the NAIA tournament in 1970 and 1971.
Senior Deane Williams has 12 doubles-doubles and leads the Jaguars in scoring, field goals, free throws, rebounds, blocks, and minutes. He is averaging 15.6 ppg and 9.1 rpg and is fourth in the PBC in field goals, while leading the league in rebounds and blocks. Freshman Miguel Arnold ranks second in the nation for three-point field-goal percentage (47.7 %) and is averaging 12.1 ppg. Arnold has made four or more three pointers in 13 games and hit six or more in four contests. Jags junior Rafael Monteiro is averaging 14.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg in his first season in Augusta. Monteiro is ranked fifth in the PBC for field goals and is 20th in the nation for field-goal percentage.
About Augusta Men's Basketball
The Augusta University men's basketball team is led by head coach Dip Metress. On May 10, 2004, Metress was introduced as the fifth head coach in program history. He previously led the Belmont Abbey Crusaders (1996-04) and was an assistant for the Jaguars under Clint Bryant (1989-95). He has never had a losing season in his 15 seasons at the helm of the Jaguars. A two-time Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year, Metress and the Jags hosted five straight NCAA Regional Tournaments from 2007-11 and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight three seasons in a row. He was named the South Atlantic Coach of the Year in 2007, the Southeast Region Coach of the Year in 2009, and the NABC Southeast District Coach of the Year in 2011.
Augusta men's hoops has retired four numbers in its 52-year history: Ben Madgen (1), Keshun Sherrill (10), Tyrekus 'AJ' Bowman (23), and Keenan Mann (32). The Jaguars have reached the NCAA tournament 11 times and won their region three times.
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