Jags win 3 of 4; Sherrill and Young Harris's Wilson among nation's leaders

Keshun Sherrill scored 27 points to lead Augusta University to an 84-73 home win over Flagler Saturday, the third conference win in the last four tries for the Jaguars. Sherrill was one of five Augusta players who scored in double figures.

The Jaguars occupy the second spot in the Peach Belt Conference's east division heading into Wednesday's road game at east division rival Pembroke. Augusta leads Pembroke and Francis Marion by two games in the east and trails leader Lander by two. Augusta (10-7, 6-4) topped Pembroke 73-72 earlier this month when freshman Jashawn Brooks made the go ahead three point play with 39 seconds remaining. Sherrill led the way with 26 in the home win.

So close...

The Jags were two overtime forcing threes from Young Harris away from upending the west division leader last Monday. As painful as the loss was, the MLK Day showdown between the two best players I've covered in the past twelve months, Augusta's Sherrill and Young Harris's CJ Wilson, was the season's most well played and exciting game.

After trailing late, Young Harris's Ben Waterhouse made a three to force overtime. At the end of that session, Wilson made another long ball to force a second overtime. And Wilson clinched the road win with yet another three to put Young Harris ahead 96-91 with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Sherrill and Wilson pepper the national leaderboards

These explosive guards not only dual on Peach Belt Conference courts. They also chase each other on NCAA Division II's statistical leaderboards:

NCAA Division II leaders

• Sherrill and Wilson are tied for 8th with 24.4 points per game
• Sherrill is 16th and Wilson is 17th in free throws attempted
• Sherrill is 8th and Wilson is 14th in free throws made
• Sherrill is 2nd and Wilson is 7th in minutes per game
• Wilson is 12th in assists with 6 per game

Sherrill and Wilson have developed quite a rivalry these past twelve months. 

During that time, Young Harris holds a 2-1 advantage in a sequence that has seen the road team win every game.

Augusta earned a 67-65 road win last January when Sherrill made 2 threes in the final 20 seconds to erase a 5 point deficit

Wilson scored 27 points in Young Harris's 83-76 Peach Belt Conference tournament quarterfinal round road win over Augusta last March:



The third blow was delivered by Wilson last Monday, a mere two days after his buzzer beater at Francis Marion:

Hopefully we'll get part four of the sequence in the next couple months. That would mean Sherrill and his young and fast improving teammates will have qualified for the post season and be headed for another chance at an NCAA tournament birth.