FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Information Director
(540) 365-4306
 
February 2, 2003
 
 
Ferrum Sweeps Chowan in Dixie Basketball Action
Durham Tops 1000-Point Scoring Mark, Doonan Gets 300th Win

Ferrum, Va. -- Ferrum College swept Chowan College in a Dixie Conference basketball doubleheader this afternoon at home.  The Panther women opened the afternoon with an 82-67 win over Chowan in a game matching up the league's co-leaders.  Both came into the game with 5-1 Dixie records.  In the men's game, Ferrum topped the Braves 58-51.

Sophomore Amber Triplett (Bassett, Va./Bassett) led all scorers with 22 points, drilling 4-of-7 attempts from three-point range.  Junior center Shermika Harris (Martinsville, Va./Laurel Park) had 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  Harris leads the team in rebounding this season with a 10.2 per game average.
 
Junior Tanisha Durham (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) became the 9th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.  Durham, pictured above, had 17 points this afternoon, and now has 1,005 career points in just her junior year.  She joins senior guard Tina McBride (Glade Hill, Va./Franklin County) as the only two players to have reached the 1,000-point scoring mark as juniors.  McBride had 10 points this afternoon, giving her 1,285 career points.  She needs just 31 points to break the school's all-time scoring record of 1,315 points, set by Kia Williams from 1993-96.

The game was a milestone for Ferrum Head Coach Donna Doonan, marking her 300th career coaching win.  Ferrum's women led 36-32 at halftime today, and out-rebounded Chowan 42-31.
 
The Panthers improve to 14-3 overall with the win and remain atop the Dixie standings at 6-1.  Chowan is now 11-4, 5-2 in the Dixie.  Today's Dixie contest was also a big game for regional rankings, as Ferrum is currently ranked #2 in the South Region and Chowan is ranked #4.

In the men's game, junior forward Kevin Aigbe (Nashville, Tenn./Volunteer State CC) led the Panthers with 19 points and 13 rebounds.   Aigbe, pictured at left, is averaging 8.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season for Ferrum.  Freshman guard Chris Jackson (Clayton, N.C./Garner) had 18 points, including shooting 5-8 from behind the arc.

The two teams were tied 22-22 at halftime, and Ferrum out-rebounded Chowan 39-28.  The Panther men improve to 7-11 overall and 4-3 in the Dixie, while Chowan falls to 6-12 overall and 3-4 in the Dixie.
 
The Ferrum men play at Dixie opponent Averett University Feb. 5 while the women are at Guilford College the same night in a non-conference game.  The women are then at Averett Feb. 6.   Both teams will be back at Ferrum Saturday, Feb. 8, to host Christopher Newport University in Dixie action.  For more information, please contact the Ferrum sports information office at (540) 365-4306.
 
 
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