AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University women's basketball team hosted the annual Military Appreciation Day game on Saturday afternoon and won 67-64 against the UNC Pembroke Braves in a Peach Belt Conference contest.
Augusta (11-9, 6-8 PBC) avenged a Jan. 2 68-62 loss at UNCP (14-7, 9-5 PBC) from earlier in the season. UNCP entered the game second in the PBC East Division and AU fifth.
Hundreds of soldiers from Fort Gordon filled the stands for the annual event to honor our armed forces. New cadets were officially inducted into the military with a special swearing-in ceremony as the Jaguars took on the Braves.
Augusta was led by senior Kayla Lovett's 15 points and senior Breonna O'Conner's 14 points. Juniors Joshlyn Belcher and Abrea Harris added to the offense, with Belcher scoring 13 and Harris 10.
The Jags recorded a 36.2 field-goal percentage to UNCP's 40.6 percent, but the Jags outrebounded the Braves 44-35 and went 21-for-24 (87.5 percent) to UNCP's 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) at the charity stripe.
UNCP was led by Brianna Baham's 28 points. Jasmine Huntley added 13 points in the loss.
AU trailed for the first period, but Lovett knotted the game at 17-all with a spin-move layup at the start of the second. UNCP regained a slight lead until the 3:13 left in the first half when Lovett's layup put Augusta back up 23-22.
Belcher buried her second three pointer under a minute until the half and sophomore Mallory Myers beat the buzzer with a jumper as AU took the half 30-24. Each team went 9-for-30 (30 percent) from the floor in the opening half.
Up six to start the second half, the Jaguars led the entire way, but UNCP made it 52-51 when Baham got her 20th point. Harris hit a Jaguar jumper from the side of the court for a 54-51 lead, but a trey from Avery Locklear tied the game 54-all with under four minutes to play.
Eventually the game was even at 58-58 with 2:06 on the clock. Harris' made basket gave AU a one-basket lead and the Jags held on for a 67-64 lead.
Women's and men's basketball hosts the cancer awareness games on Wednesday, Feb. 8 against the Francis Marion Patriots. The women tipoff at 5:30 p.m. and the men follow at 7:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse. The games serve to raise and awareness and support for the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. All proceeds and donations go directly to the GA Cancer Center.
Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.AugustaJags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags
-- 30 --
