In the first half of Augusta State's game against Florida Southern on Saturday, Jaguars center Garret Siler shot an air ball from the foul stripe.

That miss was long forgotten when he toed the line with the game knotted at 75 with two seconds left in overtime.

"The whole time I kept saying '76-75' in my mind," Siler recalled. "It was a great situation. I had a chance to redeem myself."

Siler swished the shot to finish the night 4-for-9 from the line and give the Jaguars a 2-0 start to the season. He also finished with a career-high 30 points on 13-for-17 shooting with 13 rebounds and four blocks.

"It was good for him, because he missed some foul shots in some critical situations last year," Jaguars coach Dip Metress said.

Honored Monday as the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week, Siler is averaging 21 points (on 19-for-24 field-goal shooting), 11 boards and four blocks per game.

STAYING PUT: At No. 6, Augusta State notched a pair of big wins over the weekend. With their highest-ever preseason ranking in school history, the Jaguars will play their home-opener at 4 p.m. Saturday against Johnson C. Smith, the preseason coaches pick to win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Western Division.

The first regular season poll will be released Nov. 27. So far, none of the top five teams have lost.

HOME DEBUT: Led by junior forward Chris Commons , who posted 38 points and 11 boards, the USC Aiken men knocked off Mars Hill on the road Saturday, 85-71.

"He's certainly a good player," Pacers coach Vince Alexander said. "He has some players to compliment him. We all have some work to do."

USC Aiken (1-0) opens play at the school's new convocation center with a 5:30 p.m. tilt today against Chowan. The Lady Pacers will play host to Catawba at 7:30 in both teams' season opener.

PAINE-FUL: The Paine men's and women's teams got off to a rough start Saturday with a pair of season-opening conference losses at Claflin. Joshua Adams scored 22 as the Lions fell, 83-63. The Lady Lions lost, 78-55.

The Lady Lions return to action tonight at 6 against No. 13 Valdosta State. The Paine men hold the Paine College Classic on Friday and Saturday.