FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-18-08
This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics
Monday, February 18
Women's Golf at Mars Hill Collegiate (Sunset Beach, N.C.)
Women's Basketball vs. Clayton State, 5:30 p.m.
Men's Basketball vs. Clayton State, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 19
Women's Golf at Mars Hill Collegiate (Sunset Beach, N.C.)
Wednesday, February 20
No Events Scheduled
Thursday, February 21
Women's Basketball vs. Columbus State, 5:30 p.m.
Men's Tennis vs. Florida Southern, 6:00 p.m.
Men's Basketball vs. Columbus State, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 22
Men's Tennis vs. Anderson, 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 23
Men's Tennis vs. Lynn, 10:00 a.m.
Women's Tennis vs. Lynn, 10:00 a.m.
Baseball vs. GCSU, 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball (15-8 Overall, 9-7 Peach Belt Conference)
The Pirates split two games against teams in the top half of the PBC on the week, defeating GCSU on Wednesday night but falling to No. 12-ranked Augusta State on the road on Saturday.
The Armstrong Atlantic State men’s basketball team shot 58.6 percent from the field on Wednesday evening in defeating the Bobcats, 96-83. Five Pirates reached double figures on the night, led by Corey Johnson’s 18 points and Patrick Sanou’s double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Franchot Brown added 14 points, while T.T. Hall and Jamaal Galloway collected 12 points apiece.
The Pirates trailed at halftime, 42-36, but scored 60 points in the second half – the first time that AASU has put up a 60-point half since November 22, 2003, when the Pirates scored 61 points in the second half of a 112-65 win over Clark Atlanta.
Saturday, the Pirates visited No. 12-ranked Augusta State and watched the Jaguars shoot 52.6 percent from the field, including 10-of-20 three-pointers, en route to the 82-68 win. Corey Johnson again led the Pirates on the night with 15 points, while Jamaal Galloway chipped in 13 points off the bench.
Galloway now has 262 three-pointers in his career, just two shy of Yandel Brown of Columbus State (264, 2003-05) for second place all-time in PBC history.
The Pirates return to action on Monday, February 18, as AASU hosts Clayton State at 7:30 p.m. AASU then hosts Columbus State on Thursday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball (14-9 Overall, 8-8 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State women’s basketball team split two PBC games on the week, remaining at .500 in the league heading into its final four games.
The Lady Pirates grabbed a season-high 62 rebounds on Wednesday evening as AASU knocked off GCSU, 67-61, at Alumni Arena. Senior Kaneetha Gordon had another monster game, leading all players with 23 points and 15 rebounds. With her 15 boards, Gordon moved past Chiffonia Adderson into second place on the PBC’s all-time rebounding list with 1,055 for her career. Lindsey Holmes added 14 points.
AASU then visited Augusta State on Saturday and were held to its lowest scoring output in more than seven years in a 65-42 loss to the Jaguars. Gordon provided most of the offense for AASU on the night with 14 points and nine rebounds as the Lady Pirates shot just 22.7 percent from the floor.
The last time the Lady Pirates scored less than 42 points in a game came on February 3, 2001, when the Lady Pirates lost 96-41 at then-No. 1 ranked Columbus State.
The Lady Pirates return to action on Monday, February 18, as AASU hosts Clayton State at 5:30 p.m. AASU then hosts Columbus State on Thursday, February 21, at 5:30 p.m.
Baseball (6-0 Overall, 0-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 9 Collegiate Baseball Top 30)
Due to a scheduling conflict, the AASU baseball squad did not play this week. AASU will open up Peach Belt Conference play on Saturday, February 23, as the Pirates host GCSU at 2:00 p.m. in the first of a three-game league series. The Pirates and the Bobcats will wrap up the series on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. doubleheader at Pirate Field.
Softball (8-5 Overall, 4-0 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad swept a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader from visiting Lander on Thursday, before experiencing a tough weekend at the West Georgia Wolves Invitational, dropping five games in Carrollton, Ga. – losing three of the five in the Pirates’ opponents’ final at-bat.
The Pirates defeated Lander on Thursday, 4-2 and 11-5, to improve to 4-0 in the early Peach Belt Conference slate. Jessica Strong 5-for-9 with a pair of doubles, a home run and four RBI in the sweep, while PBC Player of the Week Ashley Bain continued her hot hitting with a 3-for-4 game in the first contest.
AASU then traveled to West Georgia for tournament action. A 6-2 loss to North Alabama started the day, then host West Georgia hit a grand slam home run in the seventh inning to erase a 4-2 Pirate lead and turn it into a 7-4 victory for the Wolves. Lenoir-Rhyne then picked up a 6-2 win over the Pirates to wrap up Friday’s action.
Saturday saw a pair of heartbreaking losses as West Alabama hit a ground-rule double in the seventh to edge the Pirates, 5-4. North Alabama then completed the weekend with a five-run eighth inning, snapping a 5-all tie and handing the Pirates a 10-5 loss.
The Pirates will host an exhibition tournament this weekend featuring traveling teams from the Atlanta area at the AASU Softball Field. AASU’s next game action will come on Saturday, March 1, as the Pirates visit UNC Pembroke for a PBC doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
Women’s Golf
The Armstrong Atlantic State women's golf team returns to action on Monday and Tuesday as the Lady Pirates take part in the Mars Hill Collegiate Invitational at the Panther’s Run Golf Club in Sunset Beach, N.C., hosted by Mars Hill College.
Senior Katherine Hooks, fresh off of her second top 10 finish of the season, leads the Lady Pirates into action. She’ll be joined in the lineup by freshmen Carrie George and Kristen Jelinek as well as juniors Courtney Sanders and Alexandra Norman.
Men’s Tennis (6-0 Overall, 4-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA DII National Rankings)
The Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team picked up two Peach Belt Conference wins on the week, improving to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the PBC.
The No. 4-ranked Pirates edged USC Aiken, 5-4, on Tuesday in Aiken. AASU dropped two of three doubles matches, but won at singles spots 3-6 in straight sets to clinch the victory.
AASU then visited Columbus State on Friday and knocked off the Cougars, 8-1. The Pirates swept all three doubles matches, then won The Pirates (6-0, 4-0 PBC) won all three doubles matches, including a close 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles from Rafael Array and Tim Johannsen, who knocked off Luis Gonzalez and Paul van Rensburg. AASU then won five of six singles matches.
The Pirates return to action on Thursday, February 21, with a 6:00 p.m. matchup against Florida Souther. AASU then takes on Anderson at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, before the Pirates host top-ranked Lynn University at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 23.
Women’s Tennis (6-0 Overall, 4-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 2 ITA DII National Rankings)
The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women’s tennis team stretched its regular season winning streak to 96 by picking up two Peach Belt Conference wins on the week.
The Lady Pirates swept USC Aiken, 9-0, on Tuesday afternoon in Aiken, S.C. AASU swept all three doubles matches and won all six singles matches in straight sets. AASU then visited No. 13-ranked Columbus State and won, 8-1, over the Lady Cougars. AASU swept all three doubles matches by identical 8-2 scores, then won five of six singles matches. Senior Iuliia Stupak defeated No. 30-ranked Agata Polcyn, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 1 singles to pace the Lady Pirates.
The Lady Pirates are next in action on Saturday, February 23, as AASU hosts No. 4-ranked Lynn at 10:00 a.m. at the AASU Tennis Complex.