AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State rallied for an 81-75 victory over Columbus State Thursday night as the Jaguars earned a split of their Peach Belt Conference doubleheader in Christenberry Fieldhouse. The contests marked the opening of the PBC schedule for both ASU and CSU.

In the women’s matchup, CSU outlasted the Lady Jaguars for a 61-53 victory. Freshman reserve Jasmine Godwin had 12 points to lead the Lady Jags, who fell to 8-3 overall and 0-1 in the PBC. CSU improved to 9-3 and 1-0, respectively.

The Lady Cougars held ASU to just 30.2 shooting from the field and forced 22 turnovers. Senior center Cherwonna Walker booked a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds. Kayleigh Epps added 15 points and Tamara Petersen chipped in 11.

The Lady Jags trailed by just four early in the second half before CSU rattled off a 17-2 run over a span of 6:20 to take an insurmountable lead. ASU got within seven on a Sherika Parker layup with 55 seconds left, but couldn’t pull any closer down the stretch.

In the men’s contest, ASU junior forward AJ Bowman enjoyed his second-highest scoring effort of the season, posting a double-double with 29 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards. Bowman added a team-high five assists, two blocks and two steals en route to his second double-double of the season and his 11th double-figure scoring effort in the Jags’ first 12 games.

Freshman Daniel Dixon booked a career-high 15 points, including six free throws in the last 1:52, and added four steals. Freshman Ben Madgen managed 14 points and sophomore Garret Siler had 10 points.

Senior guard Ron Robinson paced CSU with 21 points, and Corris Portis registered 15. Alton Hart turned in a double-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

ASU owned a 43-37 lead at the 17:01 mark of the second half before the Cougars heated up, using a 19-4 run to take a nine-point lead on a Robinson three-pointer with 13:24 remaining. The Jags answered with a 7-0 spurt, pulling even at 61-all on a Madgen trey at the 8:29 mark.

Robinson’s four-point play on the next possession pushed the Cougars back ahead until a Dixon three-pointer knotted the game at 69-all with 5:04 remaining. The basket ignited the Jags, who scored on four of their next five trips while CSU went scoreless over a stretch of 3:37. Junior guard Demetrius Howard and Dixon hit eight free throws in the final 2:31 to seal the victory.

The win lifted ASU to 9-3 overall and 1-0 in the league. The Cougars fell to 7-5 and 0-1, respectively.

The victory was the Jags’ eighth straight at home dating back to last season and was their sixth win in their last seven PBC openers.

ASU travels to USC Aiken on Saturday, Jan. 6 for a PBC doubleheader beginning with the women’s contest at 5:30 p.m.

Official Basketball Box Score
Columbus State vs Augusta State
01/04/07 5:30 p.m. at Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
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VISITORS: Columbus State 9-3, 1-0 PBC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
25 Sicka, Monica....... f  3-6    1-4    0-0    1  4  5   1   7  1  3  0  0  20
30 Hardeman, Shanrika.. f  0-0    0-0    0-1    1  3  4   2   0  1  3  0  0  14
33 Walker, Cherwonna... c  8-17   0-0    2-4    2  5  7   3  18  2  2  1  3  26
10 Epps, Kayleigh...... g  4-7    2-3    5-5    0  1  1   1  15  2  3  0  1  24
20 Petersen, Tamara.... g  5-11   0-2    1-2    0  6  6   1  11  5  6  1  4  27
03 Holder, Erin........    3-8    1-3    0-0    1  0  1   0   7  1  0  0  0  15
05 Washington, Thessa..    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   1   0  0  0  0  1   4
14 Whitlock, Arlanderia    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  1  1  0  0   3
22 Stafford, Ashley....    0-2    0-0    0-0    0  6  6   3   0  0  1  1  0  22
23 Ringfield, Lauren...    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0  14
24 Ferdinand, Chauntel.    0-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   0  2  1  0  1  10
45 Beverly, Ashleigh...    1-3    0-0    1-2    1  1  2   4   3  0  0  0  0  21
   TEAM................                         3  3  6
   Totals..............   24-58   4-12   9-14  10 30 40  17  61 15 20  3 10 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-32 43.8%   2nd Half: 10-26 38.5%   Game: 41.4%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-5  40.0%   2nd Half:  2-7  28.6%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  1-2  50.0%   2nd Half:  8-12 66.7%   Game: 64.3%   3,1

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HOME TEAM: Augusta State 8-3, 0-1 PBC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
15 Ford, Shirrell...... f  1-5    0-2    0-1    2  5  7   0   2  1  1  0  3  24
24 Paschal, Tracey..... f  0-5    0-1    2-4    0  0  0   4   2  0  2  0  0  12
54 Parker, Sherika..... c  3-5    0-0    3-4    4  3  7   0   9  1  1  1  1  23
04 Batovska, Alla...... g  1-11   1-7    0-0    0  2  2   1   3  4  5  1  1  26
30 Ngulela, Deo........ g  4-9    1-4    0-0    2  4  6   4   9  5  7  0  2  28
03 Stephens, Tiffanie..    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   8
20 Wyatt, Jamica.......    1-1    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   2  0  0  0  1   7
21 Jarrard, Brittany...    1-7    1-5    0-0    0  0  0   0   3  0  0  0  0  17
22 Godwin, Jasmine.....    4-9    0-2    4-8    1  3  4   2  12  0  2  0  1  23
25 Mealing, Nicole.....    2-6    1-2    0-0    1  1  2   0   5  0  0  0  2  15
33 Paschal, Tiffany....    2-4    0-0    2-2    5  1  6   3   6  0  3  0  0  17
   TEAM................                         1  6  7             1
   Totals..............   19-63   4-23  11-19  17 26 43  14  53 11 22  2 11 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  8-32 25.0%   2nd Half: 11-31 35.5%   Game: 30.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-14 21.4%   2nd Half:  1-9  11.1%   Game: 17.4%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-10 60.0%   2nd Half:  5-9  55.6%   Game: 57.9%    4

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Officials: Margo Riddle, Bruce Adams, Mark James
Technical fouls: Columbus State-None. Augusta State-None.
Attendance: 421
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Columbus State................   31   30  -   61
Augusta State.................   25   28  -   53

Points in the paint-CSU 30,ASU 22. Points off turnovers-CSU 15,ASU 19.
2nd chance points-CSU 9,ASU 10. Fast break points-CSU 12,ASU 6.
Bench points-CSU 10,ASU 28. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-1 time.
Last FG-CSU 2nd-00:34, ASU 2nd-00:00.

Official Basketball Box Score
Columbus State vs Augusta State
01/04/07 7:30 p.m. at Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
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VISITORS: Columbus State 7-5, 0-1 PBC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
23 Hart, Alton......... f  6-10   0-1    2-5    7  6 13   4  14  0  3  3  0  27
40 Jackson, Tarik...... c  2-4    0-0    1-2    2  2  4   2   5  2  2  0  1  17
01 Matthews, Travis.... g  3-7    2-4    0-0    1  2  3   4   8  4  3  0  2  32
10 Portis, Corris...... g  4-12   3-9    4-4    2  3  5   2  15  2  5  0  1  36
20 Robinson, Ron....... g  6-14   5-8    4-5    0  4  4   1  21  6  2  0  0  33
11 Miller, Sean........    0-3    0-1    0-0    2  3  5   1   0  0  1  0  0  12
21 Wilson, Justin......    2-10   2-7    0-0    2  3  5   2   6  2  1  1  0  18
30 Neal, Battle........    1-2    0-0    1-2    2  0  2   1   3  2  1  0  1  23
55 Tarver, Jeff........    1-1    1-1    0-0    0  0  0   1   3  0  0  0  0   2
   TEAM................                         4  2  6
   Totals..............   25-63  13-31  12-18  22 25 47  18  75 18 18  4  5 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-29 34.5%   2nd Half: 15-34 44.1%   Game: 39.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  5-12 41.7%   2nd Half:  8-19 42.1%   Game: 41.9%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-7  57.1%   2nd Half:  8-11 72.7%   Game: 66.7%    2

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HOME TEAM: Augusta State 9-3, 1-0 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  4-13   2-5    4-4    1  5  6   3  14  1  2  0  0  35
23 Bowman, Tyrekus..... f 11-24   2-3    5-10  11  7 18   1  29  5  1  2  2  39
21 Siler, Garret....... c  5-7    0-0    0-1    2  0  2   5  10  2  2  1  0  15
00 Dixon, Daniel....... g  3-6    3-5    6-8    1  3  4   1  15  2  2  0  4  30
02 Smith, Steve........ g  2-5    1-3    0-0    2  1  3   2   5  4  0  0  1  34
03 Howard, Demetrius...    1-6    0-5    2-3    0  3  3   2   4  2  0  3  3  26
15 Ilunga, Etsho.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
33 Tambon, Luke........    2-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   1   4  0  1  0  1   7
44 Small, Kip..........    0-2    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   3   0  3  0  0  0  13
   TEAM................
   Totals..............   28-65   8-21  17-26  18 20 38  18  81 19  8  6 11 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-37 37.8%   2nd Half: 14-28 50.0%   Game: 43.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-11 27.3%   2nd Half:  5-10 50.0%   Game: 38.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  3-8  37.5%   2nd Half: 14-18 77.8%   Game: 65.4%    3

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Officials: Steve Coleman, Kenny Pate, Emanuel Lipton
Technical fouls: Columbus State-TEAM. Augusta State-None.
Attendance: 823
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Columbus State................   29   46  -   75
Augusta State.................   34   47  -   81

Points in the paint-CSU 16,ASU 32. Points off turnovers-CSU 14,ASU 19.
2nd chance points-CSU 19,ASU 19. Fast break points-CSU 2,ASU 0.
Bench points-CSU 12,ASU 8. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-2 times.
Last FG-CSU 2nd-00:50, ASU 2nd-03:11.