FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-3-08
This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics
Monday, March 3
Softball vs. UNC Pembroke, 1:00 p.m.
Baseball vs. Findlay, 2:00 p.m.
Women's Golf at SCAD Invitational
Tuesday, March 4
Women's Tennis vs. UNC Pembroke, 2:00 p.m.
Women's Golf at SCAD Invitational
Wednesday, March 5
Softball vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, 1:00 p.m.
Women's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
AASU vs. UNC Pembroke, 1:00 p.m.
Baseball vs. Wayne State (Neb.), 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 6
Women's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Baseball vs. Findlay, 2:00 p.m.
Men's Tennis vs. Concordia, 2:00 p.m. (@ Jacksonville, Fla.)
Softball vs. Catawba, 4:00 p.m. (@ SCAD)
Friday, March 7
Baseball vs. West Liberty State, 2:00 p.m.
Women's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Men's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
AASU vs. North Georgia, 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
Baseball vs. Kutztown, 2:00 p.m.
Softball vs. Bloomsburg, 4:00 p.m. (@ SCAD)
Women's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Men's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Sunday, March 9
Women's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Men's Basketball at PBC Championships (Aiken, S.C.)
Men’s Basketball (17-10 Overall, 11-9 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State men's basketball team split two games to wrap up the 2007-08 regular season with a 17-10 overall record and a 11-9 mark in the league.
AASU watched a 17-point lead evaporate over the final eight minutes of regulation, then did not hit a shot in overtime as the Pirates lost to visiting Francis Marion, 66-61. After a T.T. Hall jumper gave the Pirates a 51-34 lead with 8:40 left, AASU went 0-for-18 from the field in regulation and overtime in taking the loss. Corey Johnson led the Pirates with 22 points.
Seven seniors played in their final home games as Pirates on Wednesday, including Johnson, Jamaal Galloway, William Kane, Patrick Sanou, Franchot Brown, Nick Bloemhof and Jimmy Fanning.
The Pirates rebounded from Wednesday’s game to close out the regular season with a win, defeating Lander, 72-52, on Saturday. Johnson hit 8-of-11 shots from the floor for 20 points, while senior Jamaal Galloway hit five three-pointers en route to 17 points.
The Pirates will head to the Peach Belt Conference tournament as the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 seeded North Georgia on Friday, March 7, at 5:00 p.m. AASU has won 13 consecutive opening games in the Peach Belt Conference tournament, dating back to 1993.
Women’s Basketball (17-10 Overall, 11-9 Peach Belt Conference)
The Lady Pirates split two games on the week to finish up the 2007-08 regular season with a 17-10 overall record and an 11-9 mark in the league.
AASU erased a 11-point halftime deficit against No. 23-ranked Francis Marion on Wednesday, coming away with the 78-65 win over the Patriots. Senior Kaneetha Gordon exploded for a career-high 29 points to go with 17 rebounds, while junior Alandris Griffin added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Gordon joined seniors Jasmine Herron and Lindsay Lieneman in playing their final games at Alumni Arena.
The Lady Pirates traveled to Lander on Saturday and dropped a 97-87 decision to the Lady Bearcats. Junior Lacey Willis put up a career-high 35 points, hitting 16-of-23 shots from the floor, while Gordon added 14 points and 12 rebounds for her 42nd career double-double. Willis’ points were the most put up by a Lady Pirate since Audosha Kelley scored 37 points against Presbyterian on December 4, 2005.
Despite finishing just two games out of the PBC lead, the Lady Pirates are the No. 7 seed as they head to the Peach Belt Conference Championships in Aiken, S.C. AASU will play No. 10 seed UNC Pembroke on Wednesday, March 5, at 1:00 p.m. to open up action in the tournament. Kaneetha Gordon – already AASU’s all-time leader in rebounds – heads to the tournament needing just 25 points to become AASU’s all-time leading scorer.
Baseball (9-3 Overall, 3-3 Peach Belt Conference, No. 8 Collegiate Baseball Top 30)
The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball squad split a doubleheader with GCSU on Monday, then dropped two of three to yet another Top 10 ranked opponent at Francis Marion over the weekend.
The Pirates won game one of Monday’s series against the Bobcats, 8-4, but GCSU rebounded to salvage a game of the three-game series with a 4-2 victory.
AASU then headed to Florence for a three-game set with the No. 7-ranked Patriots. The Pirates had little go right in Friday’s first game, dropping a 11-2 decision. The Patriots won game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, 2-0, but AASU won game three by pounding out 25 hits in a 15-2 victory. Nick Pyron and Joey Davis each collected four hits in the game, while Jeff Chase hurled 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run while striking out 11 to pick up the win.
The Pirates begin action in the 2008 Savannah Invitational this week, beginning with Monday’s 2:00 p.m. contest against Findlay. AASU then takes on .
Softball (8-7 Overall, 4-0 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad split a doubleheader at USC Aiken in its only action of the week.
Nicole Huddleston launched a solo home run and freshman Jacquie Crane hurled a complete game in giving AASU the 3-2 win over the Pacers after the Pirates dropped game one, 1-0. Stephanie Mattes had two hits and a stolen base in game one as well.
The Pirates host a busy week of action this week, starting with Monday's doubleheader against PBC-leading UNC Pembroke . AASU also hosts South Atlantic Region foes Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday and Catawba on Thursday. The Pirates then wrap up the week with a Saturday date with Bloomsburg. The last two days are being played as a part of SCAD's Spring Break Smash Hit Tournament at the Paulsen Complex in Savannah..
Men’s Golf
The Armstrong Atlatnic State men's golf team shot rounds of 304 and 292 to finish sixth at the 2008 AASU/Southbridge Pirate Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Southbridge Golf Club.
The Pirates finished with a 596 total in the two-day, 11-team tournament. Clayton State took the title with a 581 score, three shots ahead of GCSU.
Justin Smith led the Pirates individually with rounds of 75 and 70 to finish eighth with a 145 total. Junior Chris Wolfe registered a hole-in-one on the par 3 210-yard fifth hole with a five iron, helping the top-rated DII golfer rebound from a first-round 76 to card a two-under-par 70 to finish tied for ninth individually with a two-over-par 146 total. Daniel Mobley shot rounds of 74 and 79 to tie for 28th at 153, while Mitch Baxley also tied for 28th after rounds of 79 and 74. Parker Gordon rounded out AASU’s scoring with rounds of 79 and 78, tying for 41st with a 157 total.
Women’s Golf
The Armstrong Atlantic State women's golf team returns to action this week on Monday and Tuesday, March 3-4, at the SCAD Women's Spring Invitational at the Wilmington Island Golf Club in Savannah.
Men’s Tennis (11-0 Overall, 6-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA DII National Rankings)
The No. 4-ranked AASU men’s tennis team continued its perfect start to the 2008 season with four wins on the week, including a decisive 6-3 win over No. 2-ranked Valdosta State on Thursday.
The Pirates started the week with a 7-2 win over Anderson on Monday in a match that was pushed back because of rain the previous week. AASU then defeated PBC foe GCSU, 6-3, on Wednesday before traveling to Valdosta State for the showdown with the Blazers. AASU won two of three doubles, then picked up straight set singles wins at 4-6 to clinch the match against Valdosta State.
AASU wrapped up the week with a 9-0 dismantling of No. 8-ranked Lander on Saturday. The new ITA DII National Rankings will be released on Thursday and there is a good chance that the Pirates may ascend to the top spot.
AASU will be in action on Thursday, March 6, with a 2:00 p.m. contest against Concordia (N.Y.) in Jacksonville, Fla.
Women’s Tennis (10-0 Overall, 6-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 2 ITA DII National Rankings)
The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team ran its consecutive regular season match win streak to 100 with three victories on the week, improving to 10-0 overall on the season.
The Lady Pirates began the week with an 8-1 win over GCSU, then followed it up with a 7-2 victory over No. 3-ranked Valdosta State on Thursday. AASU wrapped up the week with a 9-0 win over Lander on Saturday.
AASU has not lost a regular season match since 2003 and has also stretched its PBC winning streak to 47, also dating back to 2003.
The Lady Pirates will be in action this week on Tuesday, March 4, with a 2:00 p.m. matchup against UNC Pembroke at the AASU Tennis Complex.
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