After his team's win over Georgia Southwestern, Augusta State women's coach Greg Wilson said he believed his Lady Jaguars have clinched a berth in the Division II Tournament.
"The girls are excited about having nine games left. That's what it takes to win the national title," Wilson said.
Augusta State claimed a share of the Peach Belt Conference title along with four other teams, including USC Aiken. The Lady Jaguars (19-8), ranked third in the South Atlantic Region poll, are bidding for their first postseason berth since 2003-04, when they became the first local team to advance to the Elite Eight.
LOCKING IT UP
USC Aiken junior forward Chris Commons set a conference record by winning Peach Belt Player of the Week honors for the fifth time Monday.
HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The USC Aiken men (25-2) have no problem playing host to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament for the first time. The fifth-ranked Pacers are 13-0 at the school's convocation center.
The USC Aiken women (20-7) are 13-2 at home, including eight consecutive wins.
ALSO IN AIKEN COUNTY
Aiken Tech (28-5) will play host to Georgia Perimeter in the District 10 Championship at 4 p.m. Saturday. With a win, the Knights will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., for the second year in a row.
KNIGHTED
Four former Aiken Tech players will be playing in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament: Bernard Fields (Clayton State), Shondre Guest (Columbus State), Corey Johnson (Armstrong Atlantic State) and Franchot Brown (Armstrong Atlantic State). Former Knight Tavaris Little helped Johnson C. Smith win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament on Saturday.
JAM IN BIRMINGHAM
Paine College kicks off the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Fair Park Arena in Birmingham, Ala. The Lady Lions (5-20), a No. 8 seed, will play No. 9 seed Lane (6-20) at 10 a.m. The Lions (13-14), a No. 6 seed, will face No. 11 seed Lane (5-22) at noon.
ROUND THREE?
Augusta State (22-5) and USC Aiken are bidding to meet each other in the men's tournament championship game for the first time since 1993. USC Aiken won that matchup, 64-60, for its lone Peach Belt Tournament title.
Augusta State won the tournament championship in 2001 and 2002.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
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