FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-21-00

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, February 21
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, February 22
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, February 23
• Women's Basketball at Augusta State, 5:30 p.m.
• Men's Basketball at Augusta State, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 24
No Events Scheduled

Friday, February 25
• Softball vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, 3 p.m.

Saturday, February 26
• Softball vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, 9 a.m.
• Men's & Women's Tennis vs. Francis Marion, 11:00 a.m.
• Softball vs. Valdosta State, 1 p.m.
• Baseball at Francis Marion, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Basketball vs. Clayton College & State, 5:30 p.m.
• Men's Basketball vs. Clayton College & State, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 27
• Women's Tennis vs. Kennesaw State, 9 a.m.
• Baseball at Francis Marion (DH), Noon
• Softball vs. Lincoln Memorial, 3 p.m.

Men's Basketball (13-11 Overall; 10-4 PBAC; No. 9 South Atlantic Region)

The Pirate men's basketball team cracked the South Atlantic Region polls, entering at No. 9, before splitting two games on the week. At 10-4 in the PBAC, the Pirates are locked into the second seed in the South Division heading into the Peach Belt Athletic Conference tournament and will play the No. 3 seed from the North Division on Thursday, March 2 in the first round.

Charlie Frazier's three-pointer broke a 66-all tie with 26 seconds remaining lifted Clayton State to a 73-68 win over visiting AASU on Wednesday evening. The Pirates' Robert Campbell led AASU with 18 points and eight assists on the evening, while David Koncul chipped in 13 points. The loss was just the second for the Pirates in their last 11 games and snapped a season-high five-game win streak.

Saturday, the Pirates rebounded in front of a Homecoming crowd to defeat USC Spartanburg, 74-54, and get back on the winning track. AASU shot 60 percent from the floor and held the Rifles to just 15 first-half points. Campbell again led the Pirates with 15 points and six assists, while Koncul and Cyrille Mainnemarre chipped in 11 points apiece.

This week, the Pirates wrap up the regular season with a Wednesday tilt at Augusta State at 7:30 p.m., then finish up at home on Saturday against Clayton College & State at 7:30.

Women's Basketball (6-18 Overall; 3-11 PBAC)

The Lady Pirates split two games on the week, losing by two at Clayton State, 78-76, then defeating USC Spartanburg for Homecoming, 53-45.

AASU battled back from nine points down with less than four minutes remaining to tie the game at 76-all at Clayton State, but Mandy Cowan's jumper with less than a minute put the Lady Lakers up by two, and Lexie Martin's jumper in the lane rimmed out in the closing seconds. Martin led the Lady Pirates with 20 points, while Shawnte Craig added 16 points and Sonya Mintz chipped in with 15.

At Homecoming on Saturday, the Lady Pirates rallied in the second half to take control of the Lady Rifles, holding USC Spartanburg to just 28 percent shooting from the floor in the 53-45 victory. Kristin Brewer led a balanced scoring attack for the Lady Pirates with 11 points.

AASU closes out its regular season with a Wednesday game at Augusta State at 5:30 p.m., then wrap up the home slate with a Saturday game against Clayton College & State at 7:30 p.m.

Softball (2-0, 0-0 PBAC; No. 11 NFCA Coaches' Top 25)

The AASU softball squad swept Edward Waters, 17-0 and 19-0, in its season-opening doubleheader on Saturday at Pirate Field. Annie Sells, Julie King and Maria Lopez combined to hurl 10 perfect innings as no EWC runner reached base in the twinbill.

This week, the No. 11 Lady Pirates host the 2000 AASU Spring Softball Classic from Friday, Feb. 25 to Sunday, Feb. 27. AASU will face Lenoir-Rhyne, Valdosta State and Lincoln Memorial in tournament action, beginning with a 3 p.m. tilt with Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday.

Baseball (8-3, 3-3 PBAC, No. 21 – Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Coaches' Top 25)

Head coach Joe Roberts' No. 21-ranked AASU baseball team lost two of three games at Lander University over the weekend in PBAC action.

The Pirates led 10-4 going into the bottom of the ninth inning in the first game on Saturday, but Lander rallied for seven runs to take the series opener, 11-10. Jason Olson suffered the loss for the Pirates, giving up four runs in 1/3 inning.

In Sunday's doubleheader, the Pirates gave up three runs in the bottom of the first inning – two of them unearned – and lost, 4-3, to the Senators in the first game. The Pirate bats came alive in the second game, however, and AASU pounded Lander, 11-3, to take the final game.

Nick Snow went 7-for-12 in the three-game series with one home run and three RBI, while Haydn Chinn went 7-for-13 with a home run and eight RBI. Jason Ackley picked up his third win of the season in game two, out-dueling Lander ace David Lee for the victory.

This week, the Pirates travel to Francis Marion for a weekend PBAC series. AASU will play one game on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2:00 p.m., then play a doubleheader against the Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Noon.

Men's & Women's Tennis (No. 3 (W), No. 4 (M) - NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll)

Head coach Simon Earnshaw's tennis teams went 2-1 on the week, losing to West Florida on Friday, but sweeping PBAC foes Augusta State and USC Aiken on Saturday.

The No. 3-ranked AASU women fell to No. 6 West Florida, 5-4, on Friday, but the Lady Pirates rebounded to defeat Augusta State, 5-0, and USC Aiken, 6-3, on Saturday to remain undefeated in PBAC play.

The No. 4-ranked AASU men lost, 6-3, to No. 2-ranked West Florida, then defeated Augusta State, 5-0, and USC Aiken, 5-4, in its first PBAC matches of the season.

AASU's men are now 3-2, 2-0 in the PBAC, while the women are 4-3, 4-0 in the PBAC.

This week, both AASU squads host Francis Marion on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 11:00 a.m. in PBAC action. The women also host Kennesaw State on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m.

- Pirates -