FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-4-05

PBC Tournament Quarterfianls: No. 7 Kennesaw State 72, AASU 50

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Rey Luque hit six of eight three-point shots in the first half, staking defending DII National Champion Kennesaw State to a 37-28 halftime advantage and propelling the Owls to a 72-50 win over Armstrong Atlantic State in Peach Belt Conference Tournament quarterfinal action at the George A. Christenberry Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon.

Luque opened the game with two three-pointers and shot the No. 7-ranked Owls to a quick 16-4 lead. The senior guard had 18 points in the first half as the Owls hit 59.1 percent before intermission (13-of-22). Kennesaw State continued to pull away in the second half, starting with an 13-0 run after halftime to build a 20-point lead, 50-28, and eventually shot 59.1 percent for the game (26-of-44).

Luque led all scorers with 21 points, while Georgy Joseph added 15 points for the Owls, who advance to meet Columbus State in the PBC Semifinals on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Senior Lorenzo Lawrence led the Pirates in scoring with 20 points and finished the season with 542 points, good for 10th place on the AASU all-time single season scoring chart and the most by a Pirate player in the PBC era.

The Pirates finish the 2004-05 season with a 15-14 overall record and advanced past the first round of the PBC Championships for the 11th straight year.

- Pirates -