Shorter earns second GSC win by beating Tigers
♦ Hawks snap losing streak thanks to hot start, four players in double figures
The Shorter Hawks snapped an eight-game losing streak thanks to a fast start out of the gates and well-balanced production from several players in a 72-59 home win over conference foe West Alabama on Saturday at the Winthrop-king Centre.
Shorter (2-18, 2-15 GSC) outscored the visiting Tigers 18-9 in the first quarter to grab the momentum early and was able to maintain the lead for the rest of the contest. They led 36-25 at the half and continued to assert its control over the game with strong defense and timely offense to take a 52-40 advantage after three.
The Hawks shot a season-high 32 free throws and were able to cash in on those opportunities, making 23 of them including a 16-for-20 mark to seal the win in the final quarter. Shorter’s defense was also stingy from start to finish, holding West Alabama (10-11, 7-10) to 27.4 percent shooting.
A quartet of offensive standouts played a big role in the victory for Shorter led by Derrica Mccall with 16 points. Keyra Peterson added 15 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, and Lindsey Hardin contributed 13 points.
Tiara Lewis also had a stellar afternoon with 12 points and 14 rebounds for her second doubledouble of the season. Shorter shot 41.2 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 71.9 percent from the free throw line.
West Alabama had three players in double figures led by Bria Dent’s game-high 19 points to go with 15 rebounds for the double-double. Jala Williams added 15 points, and Maryanne Logsdon scored 13.
The Hawks will look to carry over the momentum when they visit Montevallo on Thursday for another conference showdown starting at 6:30 p.m.
In the Shorter-west Alabama men’s game later on Saturday:
West Alabama 67, Shorter 60
The Hawks trailed by double digits in the second half before fighting back to within five late but couldn’t quite get over the hump in a conference loss at home on Saturday.
Shorter (3-18, 1-14 GSC) trailed 35-30 at the half before West Alabama was able to push its lead as high as 13 multiple times in the second half, including leading 63-50 with 5:27 to play. The Hawks continued to fight and got to within five at 65-60 with 1:21 to go but couldn’t get any closer.
West Alabama (17-4, 12-4) was led by Justin Allison with 18 points, including a 9-of-11 mark at the free throw line. Thaddeus Williams added 13 points, and Kuran Garner scored 10 to give the Tigers three in double figures. CJ Melton also had seven points and eight rebounds, and Terry Durham scored eight points.
Shorter’s top point total came from Micah Hodges with 17, including making 7-of-8 free throws. Ricky Knight Jr. added 14 points, connecting on four 3-pointers, and Ralph Barnett Jr. scored 11 points. Chris Brown Jr. had seven points and six rebounds.
The Hawks, who have currently lost 15 straight games, will try to get things going in the right direction on Thursday when they visit Montevallo for another conference matchup at 8:30 p.m.