St. Germain wills Augusta to comeback victory over Clayton State
Justin Gray | Sports editor
The Augusta University men’s basketball team (8-2 PBC, 14-6) overcame a slow start to defeat the Clayton State Lakers (0-11 PBC, 6-15) 78-68 on Wednesday night, marking yet another comeback win for the Jaguars.
Clayton State opened the game with an 18-4 run, forcing Augusta Coach Dip Metress to bench all five starters. The move proved pivotal, as Toronto native and sophomore Oliver Lucas provided a critical spark off the bench, scoring a career-high nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting in just seven minutes of action.
Lucas' impact helped settle the Jaguars, who trimmed the deficit to nine points by halftime.
AU’s Oliver Lucas attacks the rim, in his 9-point performance against Clayton State (Photo by Paula Toole/AU Athletics). At the top of the screen, AU’s John St. Germain III dishes the rock in his 22-point second half performance versus Clayton State (Photo by Paula Toole/AU Athletics).
Whatever message Metress delivered in the locker room clearly resonated with point guard John St. Germain III. The Charlottesville, Va., native exploded for 22 points in the second half.
“I had to be more aggressive,” St. Germain said. “My team was telling me that I need to assert myself in the game more and I was being too passive.”
The Jaguars tied the game with 13:27 remaining and never looked back. Although Clayton State briefly cut Augusta's lead to 66-65, the Jaguars closed the game on a commanding 12-3 run.
Demitri Gardner contributed 20 points and six rebounds for Augusta. DJ Wright led Clayton State with 20 points, shooting 5-for-11 from beyond the arc.
The victory extended Augusta’s unbeaten streak in midweek conference games and preserved their perfect 5-0 home record in PBC play.
It was a milestone night for Metress, who earned his 450th win at Augusta University. His record now stands at 450-164, an impressive .733 winning percentage. For comparison, legendary coach Bob Knight posted a .735 winning percentage during 29 seasons at Indiana University.
“I appreciate the people who support us and those who hired me,” Metress said. “I have a VERY supportive wife and daughter.”
Metress will discuss the milestone on the Dip Metress Show on Friday, Feb. 7.
Up next for the Jaguars is a Blackout game against USC Aiken on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend, be loud, and wear black.
Contact Justin Gray at jusgray@augusta.edu.
