No. 10 Augusta topped Georgia College 87-64 on the road Wednesday to improve to 12-1 overall and 3-0 in Peach Belt Conference play. Five Jaguars scored in double figures, led by Tyshaun Crawford (20 points) and Miguel Arnold (16). Augusta is playing its best basketball of the season heading into Saturday’s high profile road game against No. 18 Young Harris (12-0, 3-0), who defeated Clayton State 66-63 on the road Wednesday.
Augusta shot 57% from the field, marking the fifth straight game in which the Jaguars made more than half of their field goal attempts after failing to do so in seven of their first eight games. And Augusta’s 47% three point shooting performance was the fourth consecutive game above 40%, a mark the Jaguars failed to reach in their first nine games.
Arnold made 2 of his 5 three point attempts and broke the Peach Belt Conference record for career three pointers with 345. Arnold set the school record last season as a junior. And fellow senior Tyree Myers recorded a team high 5 assists, which brings the fifth year starting point guard to within two dimes of tying the conference record for career assists.
Sophomore Ja’Queze Kirby scored 13 points, including 3 in spectacular fashion by finishing this give and go action between Kirby and Timmy Sellers.
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Darren Lucas-White scored 11 points, all in the first half while the Jaguars built a double digit lead and never looked back. Lucas-White also started a fast break that finished with another incredible dunk by Kirby that ended a sequence that was as unique as it was spectacular.
After stealing a Georgia College pass in the paint on the defensive end, Lucas-White threaded the needle with an under-hand bounce pass that led Arnold into the open court. Arnold attacked the basket, and his shot was blocked off the backboard. But a trailing Kirby caught the ricochet off the glass and dunked it with two hands. Lucas-White’s pass was something I’ve never seen, and so was Kirby’s tip dunk off of a teammate’s shot that had been blocked (except by Kirby one other time earlier this season!).
Red shirt freshman Demitri Gardner scored 10 points, and Timmy Sellers, Daniel Allen, Chris Britt and Carson Seeman all scored as well.
Tyshaun Crawford: The Center of Attention
Crawford’s 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting is consistent with his 21.2 ppg and 71% field goal shooting for the season. The 7’1” national player of the year candidate is second in the nation in field goal percentage, free throws made and offensive rebounds. And he ranks fourth in free throws attempted. Crawford led Augusta to a runner up finish in last season’s NCAA Division II national tournament, and he has made tremendous progress during his four seasons in Augusta.
Crawford was the special guest on the most recent episode of the Dip Metress Show, which was recorded Tuesday morning:
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