FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-19-05

Men's College Basketball: USC Upstate, 71, AASU 70
Women's College Basketball: USC Upstate 61, AASU 56

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Charleston Long’s three-pointer as time expired gave USC Upstate a Peach Belt Conference basketball doubleheader sweep of host Armstrong Atlantic State on Senior Day at Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon. The USC Upstate men won 71-70 while the Lady Spartan women won 61-56.

Long’s three-pointer sent the Pirates (13-12, 5-9 PBC) to their fourth straight defeat while extending the Spartans’ win streak to four. USC Upstate (19-6, 11-3 PBC) trailed by four with 42 seconds remaining, 70-66, but a Jay Free basket cut the lead to two, then a missed three-pointer by the Pirates’ Jerard Manning with 8.2 seconds left gave the Spartans one last crack at the game. Jay Free found Charleston Long on the wing and Long canned the three as time expired to give the Spartans the win. Manning had hit his previous three three-pointers in the game, snapping an 0-for-16 drought from long range that spanned all three years of his AASU career.

Senior Lorenzo Lawrence led all scorers with 21 points on the evening, while Bryan Taylor added 13 points and Alex Carter chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds. USC Upstate placed four players in double figures, led by Free’s 14 points. AASU hit a season-best 11-of-22 three-pointers on the day and outrebounded the Spartans by 17, 41-24, but turned the ball over 24 times.

The AASU women (17-11, 7-7 PBC) watched USC Upstate go on a 16-2 run in the first half and come away with a 61-56 victory over the Lady Pirates. The Lady Spartans (13-12, 6-8 PBC) and the Lady Pirates were tied at 53-all with 2:30 left, then a Lavonne Thomas three-pointer put the Pirates up by one, 56-55, with 1:05 remaining, but the Spartans scored the final six points of the game to pull out the win. Thomas scored 13 points and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds for the Lady Pirates, while freshman Jasmine Herron led all scorers with 16 points and Alicia Durham added 12 points, seven steals and six assists. USC Upstate placed three players in double figures, led by Keoshia Worthy’s 12 points and Julia Blandin and Stephanie Feyes’ 11 points apiece.

AASU returns to action on Wed., Feb. 23, as the Pirates and Lady Pirates travel to North Florida for a PBC doubleheader against the Ospreys.

-Pirates-