Augusta Sprints to 2-0 Start
Arnold and Cracknell's return sparks weekend sweep in 45 Second Classic at Barton College
Augusta’s Miguel Arnold knew exactly what to do Friday night after he missed four three-pointers during the team’s first six possessions of the game.
“Keep shooting,” Arnold immediately answered when asked after the game what a pure shooter like he does when the first few shots don’t fall. “I listen a lot to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, and that’s the first thing they say. When the shots don’t go in, just keep shooting. And that’s what I did. And I know my teammates encouraged me to keep shooting the ball and that’s what I did.”
Arnold’s teammates and Jaguar fans everywhere were rewarded by Arnold’s persistence in Augusta’s season opening 83-65 win over Mount Olive. The victory was the first of two in back-to-back weekend games for the Jaguars in the “45 Second Classic” at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina. Augusta followed Friday’s victory with an overwhelming 100-79 win Saturday over the host Barton in an outing that went better for the Jaguars than any team could hope for during the first weekend of the season. But more on that below because first we’ll run down the come-from-behind victory over Mount Olive.
Augusta Storms Back to Rout Mount Olive
After the early misses, Arnold made 9 of his next 11 attempts from deep to finish with 30 points on 9-15 three-point shooting. Darren Lucas-White provided a much needed boost off the bench by scoring 21 points in 28 minutes. And 7’1” center Tyshaun Crawford logged a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks in only 24 minutes of action. Crawford sat for all but 6 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble as the Jaguars struggled to find points before entering the locker room behind 33-28.
Lucas-White’s Immediate Impact
After Mount Olive expanded its advantage to 44-35 with 15:38 remaining in the game, Lucas-White entered the game and Augusta’s offense went on a fantastic second-half run that, when coupled with what was a 40-minute long defensive clinic by the Jaguars, put away Mount Olive in swift fashion.
During the 10 minutes after Lucas-White checked in, Augusta outscored Mount Olive 38-11. Lucas-White scored 16 points, Arnold added 12 and Crawford another 6 in that stretch.
During the past three seasons, Lucas-White has cemented himself as the Peach Belt Conference’s premier sixth man and most terrifying perimeter defender. He was equally impressive playing both roles Friday, and he explained after the game what his mindset was when he checked in the game with the Jaguars trailing 10-1 in the first half, and 44-35 in the second.
“When I come into the game, my energy is focused on the defensive end,” Lucas-White said. “So if I get plenty of stops, I can go and score on the fast break and stuff like that. So I’m doing whatever my team needs me to do on the offensive end and the defensive end. If I don’t score a lot of points, I’ll help by playing defense… getting steals, being in the right spot in help side and stuff like that.”
Like so many Jaguar greats, Lucas-White comes from “the DMV,” which stands for Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. So Darren was also able to benefit from the support of a significant cheering section last weekend as a dozen family members and fans from his hometown of Capitol Heights, Maryland cheered from the front row near half court.
Jaguars Posted a Monster Second Half
After a slow start on offense, Augusta exploded for 55 points after halftime. The Jaguars shot 58% from the field and 54% from deep in the second half after managing to shoot only 30% and 33%, respectively, during the first 20 minutes.
But the team’s defense shined from start to finish. It was a complete team effort in which Lucas-White and four year starting point guard Tyree Meyers swarmed Mount Olive’s guards, while Crawford, Timmy Sellers and Ja’Queze Kirby, a freshman transfer from Murray State, anchored the paint. Augusta held Mount Olive to 40% field goal and 31% three point shooting. Mount Olive only managed to get to the free throw line 11 times, versus 27 for Augusta.
The team defense by Augusta was way ahead of where many teams reach at any point in the season, let alone the early November opener:
Augusta’s Day 2 Win Even More Impressive than the Opener
Augusta sprinted past 45 Second Classic host Barton College 100-79 Saturday as the Jaguars put together two halves that resembled Friday’s heater of a second half. Troy Cracknell led all scorers with 22 points, and Tyshaun Crawford posted his second double-double of the weekend with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Crawford also swatted away 3 shots, the same number of rejections the 7’1” center recorded in Friday’s win. Darren Lucas-White followed his 21 point performance Friday with another 14 Saturday. The team’s “sixth starter” also dished out 7 assists while playing extended minutes at the point while Tyree Meyers dealt with foul trouble. Miguel Arnold scored 12 points by making 4 of his 8 three-point attempts the day after he exploded for 9 triples in the team’s season opening win.
Three things differentiated Augusta’s convincing victory Saturday from Friday’s win over Mount Olive:
The senior Cracknell shook off the rust after missing all but one game last season to show why he and Arnold are the premier perimeter shooters in the Peach Belt Conference. Like Arnold, Cracknell was forced to the sideline last season due to complications related to COVID-19. A proven three-point sniper and standout perimeter defender, Cracknell made 48% of his three-pointers as a sophomore and 41% as a junior. The absence of Cracknell and Arnold had a huge negative effect on the offensive spacing last season as teams were able to double and triple team Crawford in the paint. Watching Troy and Miguel play well on the same day Saturday was a welcomed sight we haven’t seen since March of 2020.
Unlike Friday night when Crawford had to sit for 14 minutes of the first half, the 7’1” center played 30 minutes Saturday. And his production flourished. Crawford, who logged 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half of Friday’s win, recorded his first “20-and-10” of his junior season Saturday. And he continued to show how much he has improved as a free throw shooter by nailing 9 of 11 from the charity stripe. After dropping 25 pounds in the off-season, Crawford’s agility has improver considerably. His presence was daunting on defense, and he made a habit of “Shaq-dunking” throughout the weekend after pinning defenders deep in the paint and receiving a pass from a teammate. Like this:
During the last 6 minutes of the first half Augusta displayed the depth it has developed during the past season and change. Darren Lucas-White, the team’s “sixth starter,” Glenn Hills High School graduate John Whitehead, and Division I transfers Ja’Queze Kirby (Murray State) and David Viti (Georgia Southern) made the following plays during a 16-8 run that gave Augusta a 41-32 halftime lead.
- Whitehead block
- Whitehead 3
- Lucas-White forced turnover
- Whitehead 3
- Kirby deflection and forced turnover
- Kirby drive and finish
- Lucas-White cross over and step-back pull-up on a short shot clock
- Kirby three in the half court
- Kirby forced turnover on deflection in the passing lane
- Viti three on assist from Lucas-White
Up Next
Augusta (2-0) will travel to Fayetteville State (1-1) Saturday for a 2:00 P.M. game before next Tuesday’s home opener against Benedict College.