Day Two Wrapup: 2007 SpringHill Suites Midtown New Year Classic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12-29-07

Day Two Wrapup: 2007 SpringHill Suites Midtown New Year Classic

SAVANNAH, Ga. (December 28) – Armstrong Atlantic State erased a 10-point deficit in the final ten minutes of the second half to pick up a 59-56 win over Chowan to close out the 2007 SpringHill Suites Midtown New Year Classic on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena.

The Pirates (7-2) took a 2-0 lead on Corey Johnson’s layup, but the Hawks (4-7) scored the next two buckets to take the lead, a lead which they would hold all the way into halftime at 28-20 as AASU would hit just 6-of-22 shots from the floor in the first half. Chowan would stretch the lead to 10, 41-31, with 10:51 remaining before the Pirates started their comeback. Johnson’s layup with 8:41 left capped an 11-0 run in the two minute stretch and gave AASU its first lead of the game, 42-41, since the opening possession. The Pirates stretched the lead to six, 55-49, with 1:46 left on a William Kane three-pointer, but Chowan would cut the lead to one on two occasions, the last coming on an Aaron Scott layup with seven seconds left. Kane made two free throws to stretch the lead back to three, and Chowan’s last-second tying attempt by Montino Williams hit the front of the rim, preserving the victory for AASU.

Londo Morrison led all scorers for the Hawks on the day with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line, while Aaron Scott chipped in 10. Johnson led the Pirates with 14 points, while Kane – DII’s assist leader coming into the contest – scored a season-high 11 points to go with his five assists.

In the first game of the day, Shaun Keaton put up 25 points for a second game in a row to lead the GCSU Bobcats to a 92-73 win over Virginia State. The junior hit 6-of-11 shots from the floor, including four of six three-pointers, as well as 9-of-12 free throws for his ..th game this season with 20+ points. Aaron Clark and Justin Brown added 13 points apiece as the Bobcats hit better than 50 percent from three-point range for the second straight night, hitting 11-of-20 threes for 55 percent. Virginia State, who shot just 35 percent from the floor and 26 percent from three point range, was led by Edwin Torres’ 19 points and Terrell Crockett’s 16 points.

AASU returns to action on January 5 with a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader against UNC Pembroke, beginning with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m.

- Pirates -