No. 14 ranked Augusta will host North Georgia tonight in a key Peach Belt Conference game between two of the three teams tied at the top of the standings. Augusta (17-3, 8-2) will return home after splitting a pair of road games last week. North Georgia (14-3, 7-2) will aim to bounce back from an overtime loss at home Saturday against USC Aiken, the third team in the three-way tie for first place.
In addition to breaking the log jam at the top of the standings, nineteen year head coach Dip Metress hopes to raise awareness for prostate cancer when fans come to see the Jaguars in action. A special fan donated special uniforms for the players to wear for the occasion.
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“It’s our Prostate Cancer Awareness Game,” Metress explained Tuesday morning. “A gentleman donated some money for us to wear baby blue uniforms, and he’s a prostate cancer survivor… Yesterday we took our team down to the Cancer Center for an extensive tour. Dr. Jorge Cortes, the director of The Georgia Cancer Center, talked to the players. It was very educational for our players. Everybody’s life has been touched by cancer in some manner.”
According to Mic Hernandez, Augusta University’s senior communications and media coordinator, The Georgia Cancer Center (GCC) will be on site at the game. And there will be informational tables set up around the arena. Cancer survivors will be in attendance, and fans will also have the opportunity to make donations to the GCC.
The top three scorers in the Peach Belt Conference will be in action tonight: Augusta’s Tyshaun Crawford (21.2 ppg), North Georgia’s Frank Champion (19.9 ppg) and Augusta’s Miguel Arnold (17.3 ppg). Champion leads the league in rebounding (10.5 rpg), and Crawford (8.8 rpg) is second in the conference.
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The regular season champion will host the Peach Belt Conference tournament March 2, 3 and 5. Along with Augusta (8-2), North Georgia (7-2) and USC Aiken (8-2), Lander (7-3), Young Harris (6-4) and Flagler (5-5) all have a realistic chance with eight conference games remaining.
Ticket Prices are $10 for general admission; $7 for non-AU students, senior citizens, and military personnel; and free for AU students, faculty, staff & retirees with their ID, as well as for children 6 years old and under.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
