FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-22-07

Women's College Basketball: AASU 65, Georgia Southwestern State 59

AMERICUS, Ga. – Junior Kaneetha Gordon recorded a career-high 24 points to go with 16 rebounds to lead the Armstrong Atlantic State women's basketball team to a 65-59 victory over host Georgia Southwestern State on Thursday evening in Americus, Ga.

The Lady Pirates (14-12, 8-7 PBC) watched as Georgia Southwestern (2-21, 0-15 PBC) came out in the first half with intensity on Senior Night. The Lady Hurricanes led by as many as nine in the first half, but a late rally by the Lady Pirates at the end of the first half cut the deficit to just one, 31-30, at intermission. Gordon hit 6-of-12 shots in the first half for a team-best 15 points, while the rest of the Lady Pirates hit just 5-of-19 shots from the floor.

AASU opened the second half on a 10-4 run to retake the lead, and the game was nip-and-tuck until four minutes left, when an Ameshia Bryant layup off of a turnover with four minutes remaining snapped a 51-all tie. The Lady Pirates never trailed afterwards, collecting their fourth win out of their last five games. Gordon's 24 points eclipsed her previous high of 22 points, set twice earlier this season, while Bryant added 10 points. Tana Griffiths hit two threes on the night and now has 81 threes, just one shy of the single-season AASU record.

AASU returns to action on Saturday, February 24, at Noon in a nationally-televised CSTV contest at Columbus State. It marks the first time that the AASU women's basketball squad has been on television sincethe 2003 PBC Tournament Championship game against Columbus State inColumbus.

- Pirates -