Reviewing and previewing local college basketball:
Columbus State women. The Lady Cougars are back to their winning ways after enduring an 11-17 season in 2003-04. With guard Lucia Heston back after missing last season with a knee injury, Columbus State (16-6, 9-2) has won 9 of 11 and is on top of the Peach Belt South Division.
Gary Tuell. The former Augusta State coach is not having immediate success with Nova Southeastern (5-18, 1-11). His Knights have lost 11 of their past 12 games and are bringing up the rear of the Sunshine State Conference. Of course, Tuell won just five games his first season at Augusta State before turning its program around.
Welcome to the woeful world of Savannah State athletics. The downtrodden Tigers program is featured in the Feb. 14 issue of Sports Illustrated, which chronicles the team's failure to make headway in Division I after making the leap in 2002 from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The men's basketball team is the worst of the 332 Division I squads at 0-27. The football team is 3-29 the past three seasons, including two blowout losses in the past two CSRA Classics.
Augusta State women at Francis Marion, 2 p.m. Lady Jaguars face the league's worst team.
Augusta State men at Francis Marion, 4. Jaguars are 1-8 on the road.
Lander women at USC Aiken, 5:30. Lady Pacers try to avoid a three-game losing spell.
Lander men at USC Aiken, 7:30. The Bearcats are a half-game back in the North Division race.
Columbia women vs. Paine, 6, at Christenberry Fieldhouse. Lady Lions up to fourth in South Region rankings.
Morehouse men vs. Paine, 8, at Christenberry Fieldhouse. Lions have won four of their past five contests.
1. Augusta State (12-10, 5-6 PBC). Karim Telfer easily leads Peach Belt in free-throw shooting at 88 percent.
2. Paine (11-9, 9-6 SIAC). Nate Lewis looking like an all-conference guard lately, averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 boards and 4.3 assists the past six games.
3. Aiken Tech (11-11, 7-3 Region 10). Gerald Robinson shooting 57 percent from the field.
4. USC Aiken (6-15, 2-9 PBC). Richard Blocker averaging 15 points past three games.
1. Augusta State (12-10, 6-5 PBC). Latoya Renwrick has posted 42 points and 27 rebounds past three games.
2. Paine (13-7, 12-2 SIAC). Lady Lions lead the SIAC in assists with 13.63 a contest.
3. USC Aiken (16-9, 6-5 PBC). Lady Pacers went 9-for-14 from the foul line in a one-point loss Wednesday to Augusta State.
Lander women at USC Aiken, 5:30 p.m., today. The Lady Pacers are trying to avoid falling into third place in the Peach Belt North Division. Just a week ago, USC Aiken celebrated a quality win over Armstrong Atlantic State and a two-game lead in the division, which evaporated with losses to Kennesaw State and Augusta State. A Lander win puts the Lady Bearcats in the North Division's driver's seat.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com
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