Fans and Alumni helped root on Augusta University men’s basketball team to an 87-75 win in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Friday, March 4, at Christenberry Fieldhouse.
Tim Howard, a 2017 Augusta University graduate, is a huge fan of the Jaguars basketball team and looks forward to watching them play every chance he can. He even said the Jaguars basketball team made him want to keep living in Augusta.
“Coming to games is what got me wanting to come,” he said. “I sat down in front with the Alumni, and it just got me to decide to want to stay home because I’m from here.”
Howard has been coming to the games since 2004, way before he even attended school at AU. He says he is glad to see the Jaguars playing well and is looking forward to seeing them go even further and compete for a national title.
“Of all the teams I am a fan of, this is probably number one,” Howard said. “Coming to the games so long and going to so many, the familiarity of coming in the same building and seeing the same coach and all of that kind of stuff, I’d love nothing more than to see them finally get over the hump.”
The Jaguars earned home floor advantage in the PBC tournament with having a 15-3 record in conference games. Coach Dip Metress spoke on how important having home floor advantage is and what the crowd means to him and his team.
“It’s important. There is important games the crowd can get you over; they can’t win the game for you, but there is always a point in the game, especially late in the season, that your crowd can kind of lift you up a little bit. So, it does help us to play at home; no question about that,” said Metress.
Metress and the Jaguar players would need all the help they can get from the crowd Friday night as they would deal with tough officiating all night long.
Late in the second half when the Jaguars were pulling away, a call from one of the referees would cause Metress to go irate and even a technical foul was given to AU guard Tyrese Myers. Metress said it was tough to keep composure during the game.
“It was hard,” he said. “That was a play that was breaking the game open, 71-61, but we were able to get through it and the main thing was were making our free throws and not turning the ball over. and it gave us a chance to win.”
Augusta shot 27-28 from the free-throw line and only turned the ball over three times the entire game.
The Jaguars will look to defend their home Saturday at 7 p.m. against Flagler for the PBC Championship.
