AUGUSTA STATE OPENS SEASON WITH 91-86 VICTORY OVER STRUGGLING BOWIE STATE

AUGUSTA STATE OPENS SEASON WITH 91-86 VICTORY OVER STRUGGLING BOWIE STATE

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Bulldogs’ early season struggles continue as Bowie State drops fourth in a row, losing 91-86 to the Jaguars of Augusta State. With the loss, Bowie State’s record dips to 0-4 and marks the first time the Bulldogs have lost four straight games to start a season since 1999.

Senior Byron Westmorland poured in a career-high 37 points and fellow senior Bryan Wilson added 12 points to pace Bowie State. Westmorland went 10-for-10 from the free throw line and hit 7-of-10 shots behind the arc. Senior Dameatric Scott chipped in nine points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

Harold Doby recorded a double-double for the victorious Jaguars, pumping in a team-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Augusta State was led on the glass by Chad July with game-highs of 11 rebounds and three blocks. Devonte Thomas and Devon Wright-Nelson also scored in double figures adding 24 and 13 points respectively.

Bowie State junior Carlos Smith scored the first two points of the game via the free throw line, but Augusta State ran off the next seven points. The ASU Jaguars held a 13-7 advantage at the 12:09 mark of the first half only to have a Westmorland 3-pointer pull the Bulldogs within one (28-27) with just under five minutes left in the opening period.

A pair of free throws by Bowie State senior Najee White shifted the advantage over to the Bulldogs at 32-31, but the lead was brief. Augusta State closed out the final 3:23 with a 10-6 run to take a 41-38 lead into halftime.

The Jaguars and Bulldogs played pretty even in the first half, but the Augusta State bench outscored the Bowie State bench 14-0 in the first 20 minutes. ASU hit 15-of-32 from the field and BSU hit 12-of-31 from the field with both teams making five 3-pointers each.

Augusta State (1-0) began the second half with a 9-0 run behind the play of Thomas and Doby. The Jaguars lead grew to a game-high 14 points at the 17:02 mark on a Thomas triple.

The Bulldogs cut the deficit to one at 60-59 on a pair of free throws by junior Ray Gatling less than four minutes later. Westmorland drained a deep 3-pointer at the 9:16 mark of the second half, giving Bowie State its third, but final lead (70-68) of the game.

A jumper by Augusta State’s Wright-Nelson with 7:02 remaining gave the home team the lead for good.  The Jaguars torched the Christenberry Fieldhouse nets at a 70.4 percent clip in the final period of play, knocking down 19-of-27 field goals.

Augusta State out-rebounded Bowie State 39-34 but the Jaguars committed 19 turnovers, compared to a season-low 10 turnovers for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs will break for Thanksgiving and then return to the hardwood on Friday (November 23) against NAIA member Florida Memorial University in the first game of the Chick-fil-A Classic hosted by Virginia State University. Game time for the Bulldogs and Lions is set for 3 pm in VSU’s Daniel Gymnasium.