Armstrong Pirates Snap Augusta State's 41-Game Home Regular-Season Winning Streak

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Armstrong Ends Augusta State's 41-Game Home Win Streak, 73-62 AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State University men's basketball team snapped Augusta State's 41-game regular season home winning streak with a 73-62 Peach Belt Conference victory on Wednesday evening at Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta.

The Pirates (6-7, 2-3 PBC) also halted ASU's 33-game conference home winning streak while snapping its own eight-game losing streak at Christenberry Fieldhouse that stretched back to 2005-06. Augusta State (5-6, 1-2 PBC) handed Armstrong six of those losses, with the other two coming in NCAA Regionals play hosted by the Jaguars.

Armstrong opened the game on fire from the floor, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in the game's first two minutes and extending that lead to 11, 17-6, just five minutes in. Augusta State closed the gap to four, 31-27, at halftime as after the initial spurt from the Pirates, neither team shot well from the floor - the Pirates hit just 36 percent from the floor in the first half with Augusta State shooting just 29.6 percent.

In the second half, Augusta State took its first lead of the game on a three-point play by Devon Wright-Nelson, putting the Jaguars up, 40-39, with 16:22 left. With the score tied, 46-all, the Pirates burst out on a 7-0 run over a two minute spurt - keyed by a three-pointer and an offensive putback by Keyshore Williams - to take a 53-46 lead with 9:40 left. Augusta State would never get within a single possession the rest of the way.

"This was a big win for our program," Armstrong head coach Jeremy Luther said. "When we lost six in a row earlier, we had to do something to get our confidence, to get our swagger back. [Earlier this season] at USC Aiken, down 17, I called time out late to show our team the scoreboard and let them know how poorly we had played.

Tonight, I did the same thing to show our team how important a win this was for us."

Senior Chris Vanlandingham led a quartet of Pirates on the night with

18 points, while Williams added 13 points and Aric Miller chipped in 11. DeVon Jones notched 10 points before fouling out late in the second half.

Augusta State was led by Harold Doby's 20 points and Devonte Thomas'

19 points off the bench, while Wright-Nelson finished the night with

14 points.

The Pirates return to action on Monday, January 9, hosting Georgia College in a 7:30 p.m. Peach Belt Conference contest at Alumni Arena.

Armstrong's Big First Half Sends Pirates Past Jaguars, 73-64

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State University women's basketball team enjoyed a big first half and held off a second-half Augusta State University charge to pick up a 73-64 Peach Belt Conference victory in its first game of the 2012 calendar year on Wednesday evening at the Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta.

The Pirates (8-4, 3-2 PBC) matched their win total from 2011-12 while snapping a six-game winning streak for the host Jaguars (7-4, 2-1 PBC).

Armstrong spotted the Jaguars the first two baskets before embarking on an 11-0 run over a four minute span to take an early advantage. The Pirates hit 17-of-30 shots from the floor in the first half for a sparkling 56.7 percent, hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers, en route to building a 42-23 halftime lead.

The Jaguars, who shot just 29 percent in the first half, found their shooting stroke after intermission as they chipped away at the Pirate lead. Augusta State opened the half on a 16-6 run, cutting the lead to single digits at 48-39 with 14:22 remaining.

Augusta State would winnow the lead all the way down to three points, 58-55, with 7:11 remaining, but back-to-back baskets by the Pirates'

Angelia Hill and Demisha Mills pushed the lead back to seven, 62-55, with 4:30 left, and Armstrong was able to then close out the victory.

Hill led a quartet of Armstrong players in double figures with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, while Mauri Wells notched her 10th double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Mills added 14 potions and six rebounds while Jazmin Walker added 14 points and five steals.

Augusta State placed three players in double figures, led by Jemimah Ashby and Becky Newhouse, who each collected 14 points apiece. Amber Peterson added 11 points off the bench for the Jaguars.

Armstrong returns to action on Monday, January 9, hosting Georgia College in a 5:30 p.m. Peach Belt Conference contest at Alumni Arena.