AUGUSTA - The No. 3-ranked Augusta State men's basketball team put four players in double figures Saturday afternoon as the Jaguars defeated Lander, 85-46, in a Peach Belt Conference contest at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

ASU improves to 20-2 overall and 10-2 in the PBC, while Lander moves to 8-12, 1-11.

Caleb Brown scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Augusta State. George Johnson added 14 points and seven rebounds, whle Franck Ndongo had 12 points and Ben Purser 11 points and seven rebounds.

Calvin Liptrot and David Pruett each scored eight points to lead Lander in scoring, while Darion Canty had a team-high five rebounds.

Lander took a 2-0 lead on a Liptrot jumper, but Augusta State came right back with Johnson's three to take a 3-2 advantage. Tovi Bailey tied the game at 3-3 when he made the first of two free throws at 17:19.

The Jaguars went on an 8-0 run to take an 11-3 lead on Johnson's three with 15:58 left in the first half.

Augusta State reached its first double-figure lead at 16-5 on a Johnson layup at 14:49 and stretched the margin to 21 points at 28-7 on a Brown layup at the 9:24 mark.
Brown's three at the buzzer gave ASU a 45-15 halftime advantage.

Lander connected on 14-of-49 floor shots for 28.6 percent, including 3-of-14 threes for 21.4 percent. The Bearcats made 15-of-20 free throws for 75 percent.

ASU netted 27-of-48 field goals for 56.3 percent, including 10-of-19 three pointers for 52.6 percent. The Jags sank 21-of-25 foul shots for 84 percent.

Augusta State outrebounded Lander, 40-22.

Lander will host Armstrong Atlantic State University at 7:30, Monday, in a PBC contest in Horne Arena.