Less than a minute remained in the Division II men's basketball Southeast Regional, and the Christenberry Fieldhouse crowd saw it as the perfect time to remind the Augusta State men's basketball team of its next destination.
"Mass-a-chu-setts" -- just about all of the 2,721 fans chanted in four distinct syllables. That's where the Jaguars are headed after a dominant 85-57 victory over USC Aiken on Tuesday night.
"Yeah, Massachusetts; we heard that," said Fred Brathwaite, a junior forward for Augusta State.
The Jaguars (29-4) advanced to their second consecutive Elite Eight, an event held annually in Springfield, Mass., roughly 900 miles north of Augusta.
Augusta State will next meet Christian Brothers University, out of Memphis, Tenn., at noon on March 25. Last season the Jaguars won two games in Springfield before losing the national championship game by 11 points to Winona State, from Minnesota, in a game broadcast nationally on CBS.
In the fourth meeting between USC Aiken and Augusta State this season -- both teams play in the Peach Belt Conference -- the Jaguars made 60.9 percent of their shots and never trailed. They led by at least 20 points for the final nine minutes.
Garret Siler, a Richmond Academy graduate who is the only area native on the team, scored 25 points, which tied teammate Ben Madgen for game-high honors. Mr. Siler, a senior, was named the regional's Most Outstanding Player.
USC Aiken, which finished 1-3 against Augusta State this season, trailed by nine points at halftime and never got closer than eight in the second half.
The Pacers concluded the best season in school history 25-8.
Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Kudos for Dip. He brings these disparate young men together as a highly tuned well oiled machine. They could have beaten any college team last night. If they bring that "A" game to Springfield, they will be awesome. They are peaking at the right time.