Augusta (25-5) will host Lander (22-8) at 1:00 p.m. Sunday in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game. The Jaguars will strive to win their second straight conference tournament championship and their third in five seasons.
Augusta entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season as the co-champion alongside USC Aiken. The Jaguars defeated No. 7 Lander 85-75 Thursday in the quarterfinals behind 20 points from senior point guard Tyree Myers, 17 by sophomore Ja’Queze Kirby and 15 from junior David Viti.
Augusta then reached the championship game by defeating No. 6 Columbus State 88-67 Friday behind 23 points and 13 rebounds by 7’1” senior center Tyshaun Crawford. Augusta shot 59% from the field, 60% from behind the three point line and 87% from the free throw line during the semifinal victory.
No. 4 Lander defeated No. 5 Young Harris 80-67 in the quarterfinals and No. 1 USC Aiken 93-81 in the semifinals. During the two victories the Bearcats have been led by Jared Sherfield (49 points combined), Jacob Cooper (33 combined), Ajang Aguek (25 combined) and Jaylon Pugh (23 combined).
MORE: Augusta sails to championship game appearance behind a monster outing from Tyshaun Crawford
Augusta and Lander split their two head-to-head meetings during the regular season. The Jaguars defeated the Bearcats 81-78 on January 11 in Augusta. First Team All Peach Belt Conference selections Tyshaun Crawford (26 points) and Miguel Arnold (23 points) led Augusta to the victory.
Lander topped Augusta 81-63 on February 8 in Greenwood behind 18 points from Jared Sherfield, a second team all-conference member.
In addition to Crawford, Arnold and Sherfield, Augusta’s Tyree Myers and Lander’s Jacob Cooper were also chosen as all-conference players. Myers and Cooper, both point guards, received third team honors.
Augusta enters the championship game on a five-game winning streak. Lander has won two straight.
Augusta and Lander have combined to win three of the last four Peach Belt Conference Tournament championships. Augusta won in 2019 with current seniors Myers, Arnold and Darren Lucas-White playing key roles as freshmen. The Jaguars also won last season when Crawford, also a senior, was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Lander won the tournament in 2020.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
