FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 12-18-02

Men's College Basketball: AASU 76, Fort Valley State 59

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Armstrong Atlantic State shot 71 percent in the second half to cruise to a 76-59 men's college basketball victory over visiting Fort Valley State on Wednesday evening, giving head coach Jeff Burkhamer his first victory as the Pirates' head basketball coach.

The Pirates (1-5) also avenged an earlier-season loss to the Wildcats (3-4) with the 17-point victory and avoided what would have been AASU's fourth 0-6 start in school history.

Fort Valley State jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead on Darryl Williams' three-point shot four minutes into the game, but the Pirates went on a 11-4 run to take the lead, 15-14, midway through the first half. The Pirates closed out the first half with the lead at intermission, 28-20.

The Pirates made eight of their first nine shots after intermission to pull away, capping the run on Scott Mattingly's three-pointer to give AASU its largest lead of the game, 57-36, with 11:30 remaining. All told, the Pirates made 15 of 21 second-half shots, including both three pointers, to score a season-high 76 points.

Five players placed in double figures for AASU, led by senior Dave Pisarcik, who tied a career high with 18 points and set a career high in rebounds with 10. Junior Scott Mattingly scored 15 points and juniors Brian Bain and Daryl Williams added 12 points apiece, while junior Justin Wood added 11 points. Fort Valley State, who shot just 31 percent from the floor and 21 percent from three-point range, was led by Robert Pringle's 14 points and Adrian Hill's 12 points, seven rebounds and seven blocked shots.

The AASU men's team is next in action on Friday, December 20 as the Pirates host Eckerd College at 8:00 p.m. in the 2002 Chatham Orthopaedics Basketball Christmas Classic.

- Pirates -