FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12-4-04

Men's College Basketball: Mars Hill 87, AASU 64

Release Courtesy of Mars Hill Sports Information

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions lost a heart breaker at Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) earlier this season on November 23, 72-69, after Lorenzo Lawrence (Jacksonville, FL) hit the game winning 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in regulation. Tonight, tenacious defense and solid shooting led to a 17-point Mars Hill victory.

Kirby Lee (Fort Mill, SC) hit a 3-pointer with 18:38 remaining in the first half to give MHC a 3-0 lead and the Lions (4-4) never looked back. Relentless defense forced AASU (4-3) into 16 first half turnovers that the Lions converted into 18 points to take a 33-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Mars Hill maintained a double-digit lead in the second half. The Lions biggest lead of 23 points (47-24) came with 13:50 left in the contest after Reggie Johnson nailed a pair of free throws. AASU trimmed the Lions advantage to 15 points (74-59) with 3:25 left in the game after Jamal Galloway (Inverness, FL) hit two foul shots but that was as close as the Pirates would get. MHC cruised down the stretch to the 84-67 victory.

MHC scored 50 points in the paint, scored 14 points off the break, scored 28 points off AASU miscues, and received 36 points from their bench. Mars Hill shot 60% (30-50) from the floor and 71% (22-31) at the foul line.

Jeremiah Tinch (Calhoun Falls, SC) led MHC with a game high 21 points hitting 9-of-11 of his shots from the floor. Stephano Jackson (Winston-Salem, NC) led the Lions’ offensive attack. He recorded 11 points and dished out a game best nine assists in the win. Chris Aline (Reinach, Switzerland) also played well adding nine points and four rebounds and made three assists in the contests. Alex Carter (Miami, FL), Galloway, and Lawrence each scored 13 points in the game for the Pirates.

Mars Hill will host Winston-Salem State University on Tuesday, December 7. Tip-off is set for a 7:00 p.m. start. The Pirates will host the 2004 AASU/Chatham Orthopedics Holiday Basketball Classic on December 17-18.

-Pirates-