Green has career night in loss to Augusta

Published 8:48 pm Thursday, February 27, 2025

One thing that seemed to be certain in 2025 was that the Georgia College & State University men’s basketball team was going to put on a good show at The Centennial Center. Prior to Tuesday, one needed to go back to the December portion of the 2024-25 campaign to find a Bobcat game that wasn’t down to the wire.

Macon freshman point guard Khalil Green, doing all he could to make up for the court absence of coach Ryan Aquino’s top two scorers, put in 33 points Tuesday on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor (and knocking down all 13 of his free throws). It wasn’t enough, however, as the Bobcats’ hopes for a spot in the Peach Belt Conference tournament took a serious blow in an 89-79 loss to the second-place Augusta Jaguars.

The 10-point final deficit was the largest in a home game for GCSU all season. The Bobcats had four Peach Belt Conference games go into overtime since Jan. 8, and all ended up as losses. Augusta dropped Aquino’s club to 4-13 in the conference, 9-18 overall, and in need of a win Sunday at first-place Columbus State and a loss by Georgia Southwestern State to finish alone in eighth place.

Only the top eight teams play in the Peach Belt tournament that begins March 5.

GCSU’s leading scorer, Zyair Greene, did not suit up Tuesday due to injury, and James Nichols III started but was on the bench two minutes in never to return.

Augusta came to Milledgeville with the Peach Belt’s top scorer in Demitri Gardner, who had 22 points, and the top rebounder in Max Amadasun, who had 12 boards plus 14 points. John St. Germain III led the Jaguars with 27 points going 8-for-10 from the floor.

Green had four rebounds, three assists and even blocked two shots. One came after he turned the ball over early in the first half.

Oscar Lynch had 18 points for GCSU as he was coming off a hot 3-point shooting game in an overtime home loss to Georgia Southwestern State on Feb. 22. He hit three more 3-pointers to get the Bobcats to its biggest lead on the Jaguars, 18-11.

Through takeaways, Augusta turned the game around with an 8-0 run. The lead was gone only to be recouped by Aiden Kudlas. When Kudlas scored again, at 7:31, it was to end a 10-0 Augusta run. GCSU had a great game at the foul line, 24-for-26, but those two misses were in And-1 situations.

Green and Kudlas made 3-pointers late in the first half, but in-between Augusta reeled off another 12 in a row. Despite Green’s strong finish with five more points, it was 49-33 Jags at halftime.

In the second half, the Bobcats did all they could to prevent a serious rout. After closing the gap to 12 points, 55-43, Augusta scored a gift basket when the hosts lost hold of a defensive rebound.

Senior center Dallas Clayton of New Zealand had baskets about five minutes apart, each one bringing GCSU within 13. Each time, the Jags had an answer to lead by 15. Green and Clayton combined for five straight points making it 81-69, then Green scored and assisted the one and only made jumper from Devin McClain (83-75). Gardner and Amadasun responded, and their lead stayed double figures the rest of the way.

Lady Cats falter to AU

Hannah Cail accumulated 20 points Tuesday, but Georgia College & State University fell to Augusta University 74-55 in a Peach Belt Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday inside the Centennial Center.

The Bobcats lost their final home contest of the regular season, falling to 16-11 overall and to 9-8 in the PBC. GCSU plays its final game of the regular season March 2 in Columbus at 1 p.m. against Columbus State University.

Both teams started the game slow, but Augusta led 15-12 after the end of the first quarter.
The Jaguars started the second hot, as Mone Florence put through a three-pointer, and Augusta quickly increased its lead to eight. However, three-pointers from Cail, Evie DePetro, and Nylah Nuri dropped the deficit, and Augusta only led 38-32 at the half.

The Augusta lead ballooned to double-digits early to begin the second half and stayed that way for the remainder of the third quarter as the Bobcats could not dig into the Jaguar lead.

Augusta only increased its lead in the fourth quarter. After halftime, Augusta outscored the Bobcats 36-23 and never looked back.

Jada Warren led GCSU in rebounds with 10.