AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Senior forward Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman scored a game-high 23 points to pace No. 18 Augusta State to a 75-59 victory over seventh-ranked USC Aiken Monday night in front of a crowd of 3,023 in Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The victory lifted ASU to 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the Peach Belt Conference, while the Pacers suffered their first loss in league play (7-1) and dropped to 13-2 overall. With the win, the Jags improved to 10-3 all-time vs. nationally-ranked opponents under head coach Dip Metress . The contest was also just the second game ever at ASU between a pair of nationally-ranked teams.

The attendance marked the second-largest crowd in Christenberry Fieldhouse history. ASU drew 3,413 fans for the first-ever game in Christenberry on Jan. 29, 1991, a 76-62 loss to South Carolina .

ASU junior center Garret Siler posted 19 points and sophomore guard/forward Ben Madgen booked 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Junior guard Steve Smith had nine points, six assists and five rebounds. Bowman also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Kingsley Oguchi led USCA with 12 points and Jeremy Fears managed 10.

The Jags shot 59.2 percent from the field and outrebounded USCA 42-25. ASU’s frontcourt scored 53 of its 75 points and the Jags outscored the Pacers 50-25 in the paint. Aiken shot just 32.7 percent from the field.

The lead changed hands three times early on before an 8-0 midway through the first half put ASU up 20-11. Oguchi nailed a 3-pionter to get the Pacers within six, only to have the Jags close the half on a 16-5 run over the final 6:08. Steve Smith’s running jumper just before the half propelled ASU into the half with a 36-19 lead.

USCA got as close as 40-30 on a Fears’ trey 5:10 in the second half. But the Jags answered with four straight points and Aiken never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.

ASU hits the road for three straight games, traveling to Florence , S.C. , to take on Francis Marion on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The Pacers travel to Greenwood , S.C. , to take on Lander.

Official Basketball Box Score
USC Aiken vs Augusta State
01/21/08 7:30 p.m. at Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
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VISITORS: USC Aiken 13-2, 7-1 PBC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
21 Ballard, Cordaryl... f  2-6    0-1    2-4    0  0  0   2   6  0  4  0  1  25
24 Commons, Chris...... f  4-11   0-5    0-0    0  0  0   4   8  0  2  0  2  19
01 Casimir, Job........ g  1-3    1-1    5-8    2  1  3   1   8  6  1  0  0  33
03 Fears, Jeremy....... g  2-12   2-8    4-4    1  1  2   3  10  7  6  0  0  28
20 Oguchi, Kingsley.... g  3-8    3-8    3-4    1  3  4   4  12  0  0  0  3  37
02 Leonard, Seth.......    1-1    0-0    3-3    0  1  1   2   5  0  0  0  0   7
04 Gadomski, Jakub.....    0-0    0-0    0-2    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  0   5
12 Simmons, Matthew....    1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   2  0  0  0  1   1
13 McMasters, Casey....    0-5    0-4    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0  14
15 Dongo, Jores........    3-5    0-0    0-1    3  4  7   2   6  0  0  1  1  16
31 Flowers, Rashad.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
33 Egwuatu, Brian......    1-3    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   2   2  0  0  0  1  14
   TEAM................                         4  2  6
   Totals..............   18-55   6-27  17-26  12 13 25  21  59 13 15  1  9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  5-26 19.2%   2nd Half: 13-29 44.8%   Game: 32.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-13 15.4%   2nd Half:  4-14 28.6%   Game: 22.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-10 70.0%   2nd Half: 10-16 62.5%   Game: 65.4%    3

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HOME TEAM: Augusta State 11-3, 6-1 PBC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 Madgen, Ben......... f  2-6    0-2    7-8    1  7  8   2  11  6  7  0  1  31
23 Bowman, Tyrekus..... f  9-12   1-1    4-6    1  8  9   3  23  2  5  2  2  31
21 Siler, Garret....... c  9-10   0-0    1-2    4  1  5   5  19  0  3  0  1  25
00 Dixon, Daniel....... g  0-3    0-2    0-0    0  3  3   4   0  3  1  0  0  27
02 Smith, Steve........ g  4-5    0-1    1-1    1  4  5   3   9  6  2  0  3  31
03 Howard, Demetrius...    3-8    1-4    2-4    1  1  2   1   9  3  1  0  1  25
04 Quarles, Jamie......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0   1
05 Killeen, Jason......    1-2    0-0    0-0    2  3  5   1   2  1  0  0  0   6
10 Wright, Tom.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
15 Ilunga, Etsho.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
24 Brown, Caleb........    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  0  0  0   8
33 Tambon, Luke........    1-2    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   3   2  1  2  0  1  13
   TEAM................                         1  3  4
   Totals..............   29-49   2-11  15-21  11 31 42  24  75 22 22  2  9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-23 60.9%   2nd Half: 15-26 57.7%   Game: 59.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-5  20.0%   2nd Half:  1-6  16.7%   Game: 18.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-7  100 %   2nd Half:  8-14 57.1%   Game: 71.4%    2

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Officials: Art Vaulk (R), Jodie Moofs (U1), Barron Searles (U2)
Technical fouls: USC Aiken-Ballard, Cordaryl. Augusta State-None.
Attendance: 3023
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
USC Aiken.....................   19   40  -   59
Augusta State.................   36   39  -   75
USC Aiken entered ranked No. 7, ASU entered ranked No. 18 in the nation

Points in the paint-USCA 24,ASU 50. Points off turnovers-USCA 16,ASU 21.
2nd chance points-USCA 11,ASU 13. Fast break points-USCA 4,ASU 4.
Bench points-USCA 15,ASU 13. Score tied-1 time. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-USCA 2nd-00:05, ASU 2nd-01:27.