Triton recaptures Region 4 title

The on-court performances and confidence may be at an all-time high for the Triton College men's basketball team.

The seventh-ranked Trojans (30-2) snared another Region 4 Division championship over rival Highland in a 93-75 victory on Saturday, March 9, prompting a prominent voice on the roster to dream big dreams.

"We should be the No. 1 team in the country," said forward Amar Augillard.  "We definitely have the ability to win it all."

"We're the best three-point shooting team in the country. We got the confidence we can beat any team."

The Trojans will have their shot at beating another one the NJCAA "blue-bloods" Saturday, March 16 at 3 p.m. at the Jordnt Athletic Complex gymnasium. Triton will host No. 19 Moberly Area Community (25-7) from Missouri for the Midwest District Championship. The winner of that game will get the automatic bid to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. An at-large berth could also be possible if Triton loses.
 
Triton has won the Region 4 title four of the past six years. The other victories were in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Highland beat them in 2020 and 2023.

North Chicago product Augillard would be the catalyst of the Trojans championship push. His 30-point outburst on Highland's home court in Freeport, Ill. clinched the Region 4 tourney most valuable player award.

"The best award I've ever received," Augillard said.

He had plenty of company when honors were doled out post-game. Teammates Dylan Williams and AJ Dixon also made the all-tournament team. Williams had 18 points and eight assists. Dixon added 14 points.

Augllard's four three-pointers – half his team's first-half total --made the night's work relatively easy for Triton, which jumped to a 22-point halftime margin. They would lead by at least 14 points the rest of the way as the Trojans cruised to their third win in the past month over the Cougars (22-11).

Few opponents can defend Augillard, who feels he is playing the best basketball of his career now. Triton Coach Brian Burns marvels at his nightly performances, which make the Trojans a title contender. Augillard is pushing a 23-points-a-game average and nearly 44 percent from three-point range.
 
"He's in a great rhythm, he's playing really well," Burns said. "His body is really functioning really well."

And if by chance Augillard is slowed by any double-teaming, a talented scorer nearby is bound to be open. Dixon is averaging 16.2 points, shooting 42 percent from three-point range. Williams is averaging 15.1.

"AJ and Dylan are great players – they're Division I quality," Burns said.

Guard Dior Conners averages 13.8 and registered nine points and four assists against Highland. The other starter, forward Tolu Samuels, tallied 15 points along with 10 rebounds in the victory.

Triton has only lost on the road, to Kankakee and Indian Hills. The latter defeat to conclude the regular season knocked down Triton's national ranking from No. 3 to 7. Burns believes the Trojans deserved a Top Ten ranking all along.

"We've shown as good as anyone in the country," he said. "The good version of us is scary good."

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)