Savannah, Ga. – The College of Coastal Georgia men's basketball team struggled through a 106-59 loss Tuesday night to Armstrong Atlantic State University at Alumni Arena. The Mariners were never really in the game as they fell behind 24-0 and trailed by 26 points at halftime.

The game marked the first time the Mariners, now competing as a four-year program in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, had ever taken the court against an NCAA program in an official game. Armstrong competes in NCAA Division II and is a member of the Peach Belt Conference. The Mariners had faced Armstrong several times previously, but only in preseason scrimmage contests.

Tuesday's game served as the home opener for the Pirates (2-0). The Mariners (1-5) have played all their games on the road so far this season, but will finally play at home Sunday when it returns to action against Augusta State at 3 p.m. at Howard Coffin Gym. The Jaguars are also a member of the Peach Belt Conference and have been an elite D-II program for several years.

The Pirates, who had not scored as many points in a game since a 125-43 win over Temple Baptist in the 2008 season, came out on fire against the Mariners who dressed just seven players for the game. They hit seven of their first nine shots and stayed hot for much of the game as they finished shooting 51.4 percent and connected on 14 three-point shots for the game. Aric Miller led five players in doubles for the Pirates as he finished with a game-high 22 points.

The Mariners continue to have problems scoring as they failed to reach 60 points for the fourth straight game, all of which were losses. They shot just 30.8 percent for the game and made only 4-of-16 attempts from three-point territory. Mike Manning led Coastal Georgia with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Reggie Burke finished with 11 points.