FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1-15-05

Men's College Basketball: AASU 79, Francis Marion 47

FLORENCE, S.C. - The Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates held Francis Marion scoreless for a 12-minute stretch en route to a 79-47 win at the Smith University Center on Saturday evening in Florence, S.C.

AASU (11-4, 3-1 PBC) began the game by taking a seven-point 23-15 lead in the first 10 minutes. The Pirates wouldn't let up, taking a 34-19 lead with five minutes left until intermission on a Lorenzo Lawrence three-pointer. The drought for the Patriots would last until halftime as the Pirates held FMU (7-7, 2-2 PBC) without a bucket for the final eight minutes and AASU entered intermission with a 45-19 halftime lead. Lorenzo was the catalyst, shrugging off his worst game as a Pirate on Wednesday at Clayton State by scoring 19 first-half points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 three-pointers, as AASU ended the half on a 22-0 run.

The Pirates then scored the first six points of the second half in building a 51-21 lead when FMU's Vony Rivers broke the drought with a layup. But the baskets came few and far between for the Patriots even in the second half as the Pirates outscored FMU 45-28 after intermission.

Lawrence led all scorers with 22 points, while Alex Carter chipped in 14 points and Kenny Brown added 12 points. Francis Marion, who played the game without leading scorer Louis McCullough (leg), was led by Kevin Ashford's 10 points off the bench.

The Pirates return to action on Wednesday, January 19, as they host defending DII national champion Kennesaw State at 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

- Pirates -