FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Info. Director
(540) 365-4306

February 22, 2004


Ferrum Sweeps Chowan in Basketball
Women Humble Regular Season Champ, Men Win on Tip-In
 
Ferrum, Va. -- With less than a week remaining before the opening game of the 2004 USA South Athletic Conference Tournament, the Ferrum College women's basketball team humbled Chowan College 90-47 at home.  In the men's game, Ferrum scored a basket on a last-second tip-in to take a 69-67 win over Chowan.
 
Chowan came into the game already having won at least a share of the regular season title.  A loss by Christopher Newport University at Methodist College gave Chowan the league's regular season title and earned the Braves their first-ever USA South Tournament top seed.

       Women's Box Score          Men's Box Score
 
Junior Tara Toland (North, S.C./North) led all scorers with 24 points on 11-17 shooting from the field, and dished out seven assists.  Toland, pictured, leads the Panthers in scoring this season, averaging 14.0 points per game.  She needs just 15 points to become the 12th member of Ferrum's 1,000 Point Club, and already owns records for career steals and career assists.
 
Senior Shermika Harris (Martinsville, Va./Laurel Park) had 10 points and 11 rebounds today, and added three blocked shots.  Freshman Aline Alzime (Leesburg, Va./Stonebridge) had 10 points and 10 rebounds, senior Tanisha Durham (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) and junior Amber Triplett (Bassett, Va./Bassett) had 10 points each.
 
Ferrum closed out regular season action at 15-10 overall, 11-5 in the USA South. The Panthers will be the #3 seed in the conference tournament, to be held Feb. 26-28 at Chowan in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. The Braves are 16-7, 13-3 USA South, and will be the #1 seed.  Ferrum will face #6 Greensboro College Thursday, Feb. 26, in the quarterfinal round at 4 p.m.
 
USA South Women's Basketball Tournament Seeding Information
 
Sophomore Doug Griffy (Woodstock, Va./Woodstock) tipped in a shot with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Panthers the 69-67 win.  Senior Kevin Aigbe (Nashville, Tenn./Volunteer State CC) led the Panthers with 14 points and seven rebounds.  Sophomore Chris Smith (Roanoke, Va./Northside) had 10 points.  Chowan led 34-33 at halftime and out-rebounded Ferrum 41-39.

Ferrum's men closed out their regular season at 9-16 overall and 3-11 in the USA South.  Chowan fell to 10-14, 5-9.  The Panthers will play as the #7 seed in the upcoming USA South Tournament, to be held Feb. 26-29 at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  Ferrum will face #2 Shenandoah University Thursday, Feb. 26, in the quarterfinal round at 2 p.m.
 
 
For more information, please contact the Ferrum College Sports Information Office at (540) 365-4306.
 
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