FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 1-16-02

Men's Basketball: AASU 76, Francis Marion 55
Women's Basketball: AASU 50, Francis Marion 48

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Armstrong Atlantic State women's basketball squad scored the final 12 points of the game, erasing a 10-point Francis Marion lead and pulling off the 50-48 upset of the Lady Patriots on Wednesday evening at Alumni Arena, completing a PBC basketball sweep of FMU.

Francis Marion (8-5, 4-2 PBC) took a 48-38 lead with 4:42 remaining on Michelle Ghere's basket and looked headed towards a season sweep of the Lady Pirates (6-8, 4-3 PBC), but a three-point play by junior All-America candidate Zandrique Cason, followed by a three-pointer by junior Kristin Brewer brought the Lady Pirates to within four, 48-44, with 3:40 left. Back-to-back layups by Shanetra Hodge tied the game at 48-all with 2:08 left, then Cason's driving layup with 22 seconds left gave the Pirates the winning score. Cason recorded her fourth straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Lexie Martin led all scorers with 14 points. Leigh Ammons led the Lady Patriots with 10 points. The win by the Lady Pirates avenged an earlier 80-56 loss to Francis Marion on November 28.

In the men's game, the Pirates defeated the Patriots, 76-55, for their fifth win in their last six contests. AASU (9-5, 5-2 PBC) led Francis Marion (2-11, 0-6 PBC) by just two, 26-24, with 4:32 left in the first half, but the Pirates used a 16-3 run to go into intermission with a 15-point advantage, 42-27. The Pirates then clamped down the defensive pressure in the second half, never letting the Patriots get closer than nine points. AASU, who turned the ball over just six times on the evening, was led by senior Mick Jordan's 13 points, while junior Dave Pisarcik added 10 points. Francis Marion was led by Charles Carter and Jon Houston, who each tallied 11 points.

The Pirate basketball teams return to action on Saturday, January 19 as they travel to USC Spartanburg for a PBC doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.

- Pirates -