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By: Josh Fuller

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Participating in the NCAA Tournament, the fourth-seeded Columbus State University men's basketball team fell 102-68 to fifth-seeded Augusta Saturday. The first round game was played in Levine Center in Charlotte.
 
"This is a tough way to end the season," stated CSU head coach Robert Moore. "We just didn't have it tonight and Augusta was very efficient on offense.
 
"Despite not reaching our ultimate goal, I'm proud of the guys for a strong season."
 
Marcus Dixon had a very strong performance for the Cougars posting a monster double-double. Dixon finished with a career-best 23 points, 11 rebounds and five steals. He was 9-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the free throw line. JaCori Payne was 8-for-14, 6-for-9 from 3, while finishing the night with 22 points.
 
It was a tight game throughout the opening 10 minutes with the two sides exchanging buckets. Augusta jumped out to a 7-3 lead, but five quick points capped off by a Payne 3 put the Cougars up 8-7 just four minutes into the game.
 
Augusta regained the lead, but held just a 20-16 lead at the 10-minute mark in the first half. The Jags did push their lead to nine (25-16) at the 9:32 mark, but Payne answered with back-to-back long balls of his own to make it a 25-22 game.
 
From there, Augusta took over the game. The Jags went on a 17-3 run to open up a 42-25 margin with under four until half. Augusta ended up building up a 54-29 advantage at the break after outscoring CSU 32-7 over the final nine minutes of the half.
 
In the second half, the Cougars never cut the lead under 20 as Augusta advanced to the second round.
 
As a team, CSU shot 39.1 percent (25-for-64) while going 9-for-33 from 3 (27.3 percent). Augusta shot 52.1 percent (38-for-73) and 52.2 percent from beyond the arc 12-for-23. The Jags owned the glass outrebounding the Cougars 52-29.