FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-4-04

Men’s College Basketball: No. 22 Kennesaw State 65, AASU 61
Women’s College Basketball: No. 20 AASU 76, Kennesaw State 71

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 20-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women’s basketball team rallied in the second half past visiting Kennesaw State, 76-71, while the Pirate men’s second-half rally fell achingly short to No. 22 Kennesaw State, 65-61, in PBC basketball action on Wednesday evening.

The Pirate men watched the PBC-leading Owls jump out to a 26-9 lead in the first half thanks to PBC Player of the Year Terrence Hill, who made his first six shots from the floor en route to 17 first-half points. Kennesaw State (19-4, 9-0 PBC) led by 12 at halftime, 35-23, and stretched that lead to 18 points, 50-32, with 12:17 remaining in the game before the Pirates (14-6, 5-4 PBC) started to chip away. AASU started a 15-4 run to climb back to within single digits, then got as close as two points on a Nick Bloemhof three-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in the contest, 63-61. Two free throws by Georgy Joseph, however, sealed the game and kept KSU as the only unbeaten team left in Peach Belt play. Senior Brian Bain led all scorers with 22 points for AASU, while Bloemhof came off the bench to chip in 10 points, tying his season high. Hill led KSU with 20 points and Joseph added 18.

In the women’s game, the Lady Pirates (16-4, 7-2 PBC) watched as little-used Paulina Aniola lit up the scoreboard in the first half, nailing five-of-six three-pointers en route to 17 first-half points and a 36-31 lead for the Lady Owls. Aniola – who had made just four three-pointers all season long – then hit her sixth three of the game the first minute of the second half to help KSU (13-7, 5-4 PBC) go up by 11, 44-33, with 18:08 left in the game. Armstrong Atlantic started its comeback, led by junior Ramona Wright’s 10 second-half points, to tie the game at 61-all with 6:37 remaining on a Wright layup.

Both teams would go back and forth, tying three more times until a layup by Veronica Campbell finally put the Lady Pirates ahead by one, 72-71, with 1:52 left. KSU would miss four shots down the stretch and four Tasha Washington free throws would ice the win for AASU. Aniola would lead all scorers with 20 points, while Denisha Ferguson added 14 points and 11 rebounds for KSU. AASU was led by Washington’s 19 points and Ramona Wright’s 14 points.

AASU returns to action on Saturday with a PBC doubleheader against USC Aiken beginning with the men at 2:00 p.m. and the women at 4:00 p.m.

-Pirates-