AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University women's basketball team (6-5, 1-4 PBC) hosted their second league game in three days against the Montevallo Falcons (3-8, 0-4 PBC) on Saturday afternoon and won 73-63 for their first Peach Belt Conference victory on the year.
Senior Breonna O'Conner led Augusta in scoring for the fifth time this season with a game-best 24 points and added six steals and seven rebounds. Senior Kayla Lovett scored 13 points, junior Abrea Harris had 14 rebounds and 11 points, and junior Cynara Pitt produced 10 points with eight boards.
Augusta shot 39.7 percent from the floor to UM's 36.2 percent, but were outrebounded 47-37 in the game. Turnovers were a difference maker as UM had 21 to AU's 13. The Jags scored 24 points off those turnovers and outscored the Falcons 43-26 to earn the win.
Ashley Dunstan posted a double-double for Montevallo with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Albanellys Perez had 16 points.
The Jaguars were too quick for the Falcons and jumped to an early lead off a few fast breaks.
Sykes and Pitt made opening layups to start the game and a fast-break layup from O'Conner put Augusta on top 10-2 early. Montevallo committed six turnovers in the first five minutes of the game. The Falcons cleaned it up and took their first lead of the game 15-14 when Perez hit a jumper with 2:30 to go in the first period.
The Falcons never trailed the rest of the half and led 37-30 at the pause. Perez had 10 first-half points for UM and Augusta was led by O'Conner and Lovett's eight points each in the first 20 minutes. The Jags had six turnovers to Montevallo's 12, but shot under 35 percent from the floor.
To open the second half, O'Conner connected on the second three pointer of the game for the Jags and then forced another turnover. Sykes sunk a trey and found O'Conner under the basket in the next possession to make it a 41-40 with 6:39 in the third. Making her second three of the period, O'Conner gave Augusta a 43-41 lead towards the end of the third.
The Jags outscored the Falcons 22-11 in the third period to earn a lead heading into the final 10 minutes of action. With just over five minutes left in the game, Abrea Harris found JJ Williams for a good three pointer and O'Conner carded her sixth steal of the game which led to a 10-point Augusta lead. The Jags hung on for a 73-63 win.
The Peach Belt Conference schedule continues for Augusta as they travel to Clayton State in Morrow Ga., on Monday, Jan. 9 for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
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