This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 1-28-08

Wednesday, January 30 
Women's Basketball at Clayton State, 5:30 p.m. 
Men's Basketball at Clayton State, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, February 1 
Baseball vs. Florida Southern, 2:00 p.m. 
Softball at Claflin Invitational 
AASU vs. Brewton Parker, 1:00 p.m. 
AASU vs. Savannah State, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 2 
Baseball vs. Florida Southern, 1:00 p.m. 
Men's Basketball vs. USC Aiken, 2:00 p.m. 
Women's Basketball vs. USC Aiken, 4:00 p.m. 
Women's Tennis vs. Nova Southeastern (@ Winter Park, Fla.), 10:00 a.m. 
Men's Tennis at Rollins, 2:00 p.m. 
Softball at Claflin Invitational 
AASU at Claflin, 10:30 a.m. 
AASU vs. Georgia Southwestern State, Noon

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's basketball team won two of three games this week to improve to 11-5 overall and 5-4 in the Peach Belt Conference.

The Pirates scored a season-high 91 points in Monday’s 91-76 win at North Georgia. Senior Jamaal Galloway scored 23 points to lead five players in double figures against the Saints, while T.T. Hall and Franchot Brown chipped in 13 apiece. AASU lost a tough three-point game on Wednesday at Columbus State, 77-74, but rebounded to take care of Lander on Saturday, 68-48.

Galloway became the 17th player in AASU history - and the fourth player in the last 10 years - to record 1,000 career points with his 15 points in Saturday's win over Lander. Galloway also hit five three-pointers, giving him 242 in his career and moving past Jay Free of USC Upstate for fourth place all-time in Peach Belt history.

Senior William Kane continues to rank among the nation's leaders in assists. His 12 assists on Saturday against Lander was his fourth game this season with 10 or more assists and his 7.9 assist/game average ranks second in NCAA Division II.

The Pirates travel to Clayton State on Wednesday, January 30, for a 7:30 p.m. contest, then return home to face nationally-ranked USC Aiken on Saturday, February 2, at 4:00 p.m.

The AASU women's basketball squad saw its losing streak reach four before ending that slide with a 66-52 win over first-place Lander on Saturday.

The Lady Pirates suffered a 78-66 loss at North Georgia on Monday, but during the contest, senior Kaneetha Gordon passed Gigi Gibson to become AASU’s all-time rebounding leader with 964 career boards.

AASU then endured its worst loss of the season on Wednesday in an 80-49 setback at Columbus State as no Lady Pirate player reached double figures. Saturday, however, the Lady Pirates reversed their fortunes by holding the nation’s second-ranked scoring offense to its lowest output since 2006. Lacey Willis scored 16 points and Gordon – honored before the game for her career rebounding record – added another record to her resume with an Alumni Arena-record 19 rebounds.

The Lady Pirates travel to Milledgeville for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with GCSU on Wednesday, January 16, in their only game of the week.

AASU next travels to Clayton State on Wednesday, January 30, for a 5:30 p.m. contest, then return home to face USC Aiken on Saturday, February 2, at 2:00 p.m.

The AASU baseball squad opens the 2008 season this week by hosting No. 3-ranked Florida Southern for a three-game series, beginning on Friday at 2:00 p.m. The Pirates return three starters and nine players overall from last season’s 39-23 squad that captured the school’s first-ever Peach Belt Conference tournament title and made its 12th NCAA regionals appearance in the last 20 seasons.

The Pirates have been picked to finish sixth in a preseason poll of the Peach Belt Conference’s coaches. Sophomore second baseman Josh Wilson, the 2007 PBC Tournament MVP, was honored as a member of the league’s preseason All-Conference team as well.

The AASU softball squad begins its 2008 season this weekend by traveling to Claflin for tournament action on Friday, February 1, and Saturday, February 2. The Pirates will take on Brewton-Parker, Claflin, Georgia Southwestern State and Savannah State during the tournament.

AASU returns five starters and seven players overall from last season’s 31-18 squad that advanced to the NCAA South Atlantic Region final and finished the season ranked No. 13 in the country. In a preseason poll of the Peach Belt coaches, the Pirates have been picked to finish fifth, and three players were honored on the preseason All-Conference team – second baseman Natalie Vogler, outfielder Kari Marsico and designated/utility player Nicole Huddleston.

The No. 4-ranked AASU men’s tennis team opens the 2008 spring season on Saturday, February 2, by visiting No. 10-ranked Rollins College for a 2:00 p.m. match. The Pirates feature five players ranked in the top 30 in the nation in singles, led by Mid-Atlantic Region singles champion Robert Jendelund (No. 8) and junior Paul Bishop (No. 15). Freshman Rafael Array (No. 18), sophomore Christian Bergh (No. 25) and senior Davor Zink (No. 30) also appear in the fall rankings, while the duo of Bergh and Jendelund are ranked No. 12 in doubles.

The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women’s tennis team begins a quest for another National Championship on Saturday when the Lady Pirates take on Nova Southeastern on Saturday, February 2, at 10:00 a.m. in Winter Park, Fla. The Lady Pirates feature six players ranked in the top 40 in the nation in singles, including ITA Super Bowl singles champion Johanna Dahlback (No. 2) and freshman Alida Muller-Wehlau (No. 7) ranked in the top 10. Alisa Kagukina (No. 13), Gabriella Kovacs (No. 19), Sofia Haggstrom (No. 28) and Martina Beckmann (No. 27) also appear in the national singles rankings, while Dahlback and Haggstrom are ranked No. 10 in the nation in doubles and Beckmann and Muller-Wehlau are ranked No. 15. AASU also returns last season’s top-ranked singles player, Iuliia Stupak.