His team trailing by nine only eight minutes in, the vociferous Bulldog fan seated behind press row was fishing for a stat sheet from the visitors.

They're tearing up Division II, he was told.

"Well, they're tearing up Division I right now," he said.

Augusta State was shredding the nets from 3-point range and sending a message to a Georgia team that for 58 minutes wished it had never invited them to its house. For one night only, Augusta State almost owned Stegeman Coliseum and some bragging rights for life.

"There's not too much difference," A.J. Bowman said after the Peach Belt Conference's Jaguars narrowly missed upsetting the Southeastern Conference's Bulldogs, 81-74, on Monday. "It's just a Roman numeral."

It was more than just a numeral or another game for Bowman. Less than two months ago, he was trying to digest the reality that a hole in his heart might ruin his senior season, if not threaten his life. It might ruin his chance to perform on a stage he had dreamed about. Stegeman Coliseum is only 45 minutes from his home in Tignall. The Augusta State team bus drove through Wilkes County on the way to Athens for what amounted to the chance of a lifetime for these young men.

"I definitely wanted to be ready for this one so my family and friends could see me," Bowman said.

And with 4:11 left in the game, it appeared that Bowman had delivered the signature moment. Daniel Dixon hit him with a long pass up the court, and Bowman did what he does best with a thunderous slam dunk that sent the several hundred Augusta State fans seated in the rafters into a frenzy.

Leading 73-69, even Augusta State coach Dip Metress was dancing and celebrating as the Bulldogs called timeout.

"I was thinking that something unique was going to happen here," Metress said.

What happened wasn't entirely unique. In fact, it was dÃjà vu all over again for any Georgia fans who might remember the last time Augusta State visited Athens. Clint Bryant brought the Jaguars to Stegeman 18 years ago and delivered a shudder to Hugh Durham's Dawgs.

"We were leading at halftime and you could have heard a pin drop," Bryant said of the stunned crowd. "Hugh must have got after them at halftime, because they came out smoking. "

Augusta State led again Monday night at the half, 41-37, to the stunned disbelief of the few Georgia fans who bothered to attend. The blue corner of Jags fans tucked far from the court was making more noise than the home fans.

It's not like the atmosphere was going to turn the Jaguars into shrinking violets. Monday night's game was simply played in front of more empty seats than usual -- just a bigger version of the Christenberry Fieldhouse experience Augusta State is accustomed to at home.

But it was the opposition that made this night special. Opportunities to take on Division I foes from major conferences don't come around often in a basketball world dominated by RPI ratings and strength of schedule debates. It was desperation that forced Georgia to fill a hole in its schedule with perhaps the best Division II team they might find.

The Jags played an exhibition at Clemson a month ago, losing by 13 in Littlejohn Coliseum. Yet even with Tigers coach Oliver Purnell using his starters most of the game, that game was very different from Monday night's.

"Clemson helped, but I told them this one goes on the record sheet," Metress said.

Augusta State delivered everything they could. It led by 11 six minutes into the game. It rallied after a extended funk to seize the halftime lead. It went back up by seven in the second half and usually answered every counterpunch Georgia delivered despite foul trouble for its stars and an inability to get the ball inside.

"I've never been prouder of a team in a loss," Metress said.

Even if Augusta State had pulled it off, the upset wouldn't be confused with Appalachian State beating Michigan in football. It wouldn't have been Chaminade taking down top-ranked Virginia and Ralph Sampson. People across the country wouldn't have been talking about this at water coolers this morning, next week, next month or 26 years from now.

But what might not have meant much on a national scale certainly would have meant the world to Augusta State.

In a way, it still does. Nobody wants to talk about moral victories, but they certainly exist. Monday night was one.

Monday night's performance earned the kind of capital in confidence that can be spent for the remainder of the season. In the Peach Belt conference, being the team that almost beat Georgia goes a long way to being a team that can contend for a Division II championship.

"We learned a lot from this loss," Bowman said. "I would rather have won, but I'm proud of the effort. I'm glad our fans could come see us play at such a high level. It gives us confidence knowing we can play with the best."

Georgia can certainly attest to that.