Faulkner and AUM will play in the SSAC Tournament on Thursday. The Senators face Shorter while Faulkner plays Emmanuel. (Photo by Chris Dunn)

Combined Reports
(March 4, 2010)

The regular season is over for the Auburn University at Montgomery basketball teams and both teams have qualified for the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament which will begin Thursday in Rome, Ga.  The tournament will be held at The Forum with Shorter College as the host team.

The Senators (13-12/8-6) enter the tournament as the three seed.  The Senators will open the men’s tournament with a 1:30 p.m. game against Shorter College (17-12/5-9), the sixth seed.

Meanwhile, Faulkner (17-12) is the fifth seed in the SSAC Tournament and will play fourth-seed Emmanuel Thursday night at 7:30.

Charles Perona (11.5) leads AUM in scoring and Nathan Thomas (11.4) is right behind him.  Daniel Quinlan also averages double-figures (10.5) and is the team’s best three-point shooter.

Perona and Thomas were named All-SSAC for the men.  Perona, a junior from Tuskegee, averaged 11.5 points per game and while playing both the shooting and point guard position’s.  He led AUM in assists (70) and in steals (46).

Faulkner senior forward Randell Moore and sophomore guard Chris Palmore were selected to the All-Southern States Athletic Conference basketball team, announced here tonight at the annual awards banquet.

Moore, who also made the team a year ago, led Faulkner in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13 points and seven rebounds a game. Palmore added 11 points and four rebounds an outing.

The Eagles’ George Manomano was named to the conference’s all-freshman team. He averaged six points a game

Faulkner’s Camille Ngon ‘a ngon was chosen as Faulkner’s recipient of the Champions of Character award, presented as part of the NAIA’s promotion of high character values both on and off the court.

The Lady Senators (14-14/9-7) finished the season tied for fourth with Emmanuel College (18-12/9-7), whom they will face in the first round on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m.

The two teams split in their regular season matchups with Emmanuel winning 67-48 at home, while the Lady Senators winning 60-30 on their home court.

Carlie Ainsworth and Cassie Moore were named to the women’s All-SSAC team.  Moore, a Montgomery native, led the team in points per game (13.1), rebounds (7.3), blocked shots (98), field goal percentage (.560) and was third in steals (26).  Moore was also named the SSAC Defensive Player of the Year

Ainsworth, also of Montgomery, was also named All-SSAC.  The three-point sharp-shooter averaged 12.4 points per game and hit 85 three’s on the season.  She also shot over 76 percent from the free throw line.

Senior Melanie Gess was named to the Musco Lighting Champion of Character Team.  The Notasulga native will finish her career with over 650 points and 650 rebounds.