AIKEN - Dip Metress didn't make a big deal of his first game as Augusta State's head men's basketball coach. He was mainly concerned about the $100 he owes his wife for picking up a technical foul.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
|
|
Have a thought?
Go to the Forums or Chat.
|
|
|
The opening chapter of the Metress era came off without a hitch. The Jaguars showed hustle from the start, played solid defense and knocked off Carson-Newman, 65-58, in their season opener Saturday in the ConocoPhillips Classic.
"I just want our team to show effort," Metress said. "We made a good run early and let them back in it. But we had more positives than negatives. We'll take that."
Karim Telfer scored a team-high 14 points for Augusta State, while Roberto Aufiero added 12 points and nine rebounds. Cameron Tovey had 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
"We've got no stars, really," Tovey said. "We're all new to the team. So we're all united."
Augusta State showed pep from the get-go, feeding off early buckets and defensive stands. Metress approved of his team's hustle, even though the Jaguars committed three fouls on 3-point attempts. Augusta State overplaying the ball allowed Carson-Newman to convert a pair of rare four-point plays.
"We were really on our guys about contesting shots," Metress said. "Those are high-energy plays. We can correct that."
Dean Brebner scored the game's first three baskets as Augusta State jumped out to an early lead.
The Jaguars connected on 9 of 19 shots from 3-point range and never trailed in the contest.
Aufiero scored on a layup off a Tovey assist with 15:28 remaining to give the Jaguars their biggest lead at 49-36.
The Eagles clawed back into the contest with second-chance points and their perimeter game warming up. Carson-Newman closed the margin to three on an Anthony Jones 3-pointer. Augusta State clung to its three-point lead with five minutes remaining.
"I told them with five minutes to go that (Carson-Newman) wasn't getting that first shot," Metress said.
The Jaguars allowed just one field goal the rest of the way. Augusta State out-rebounded the Eagles, 43-28, and held its opponent to 38 percent shooting from the field.
"Our main focus in our last two practices was seeking our identity," Telfer said. "I feel we have an aggressive mentality.
"We had our mental lapses. But we put it all together at the end."
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
