FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-25-04

Men’s College Basketball: AASU 74, North Florida 61
Women’s College Basketball: No. 18 North Florida 73, No. 24 AASU 68

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Armstrong Atlantic State split a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with visiting North Florida in college basketball action on Wednesday evening at Alumni Arena. The AASU men knocked off the Ospreys, 74-61, while the No. 18-ranked Lady Ospreys ended No. 24 AASU’s 11-game home win streak with a 73-68 victory.

The Lady Pirates (20-6, 11-4 PBC) had a 59-55 lead with 7:23 remaining in the contest after a Kaneetha Gordon layup, but North Florida (22-4, 11-4 PBC) immediately went on a 10-0 run to take a six-point lead, 65-59, on a Natalie Hicks jumper. AASU would climb back into the game by going on a 6-0 run of its own, capped by a Vandy Noldon free throw to give the Lady Pirates a 66-65 lead, but UNF would outscore AASU 8-2 the rest of the way to take the win. AASU cut it to one on a Washington jump shot, 69-68, and then the Lady Pirates came up with a steal, but as Washington moved up the court with the basketball, she was picked from behind and the ball went to UNF’s Latisha Perry with 20 seconds remaining and AASU would not score again. Washington, the reigning PBC Player of the Week, led all players with 24 points, a career-high tying eight assists and six steals. The six steals gives her 97 on the season, tying Washington with Marva Lindsay (1992-93) for the single-season steal record. Gordon added 13 points for AASU, while North Florida placed five players in double figures, led by Cecilia Woolfolk’s 19 points and Skye Barber’s 14 points.

In the men’s contest, post men Tim Black and Bryan Taylor scored the first 15 points of the contest for the Pirates (19-7, 10-5 PBC) as AASU opened up a 28-13 lead and cruised to the easy 74-61 victory over North Florida. The Pirates led by 20 at halftime, 43-23, and dominated the paint as they outrebounded the Ospreys, 42-31, in the contest – the third straight opponent AASU has outrebounded by 10 or more. North Florida (13-13, 5-10 PBC), playing without 6’10” leading scorer Donny Lotz, hit just 9-of-23 field goals in the first half. The Pirates placed four players in double figures, led by Daryl Williams, who scored 16 points, while senior Bran Bain added 13 points. Freshman Bryan Taylor recorded his first career double-double for the Pirates with 10 points and 11 rebounds. North Florida was led by Derrick Scott’s 13 points and David Ashwell’s 11 points.

The AASU men’s and women’s basketball teams host their final home game of the season on Saturday, February 28, at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Senior Day against Columbus State. Seven senior members of the AASU men’s team and three members of the AASU women’s team will play in their final home games of their careers.

-Pirates-