By Jim O'Hara
 
Cleveland, Tenn. – Having produced two of their best back-to-back performances a week ago in their home confines of the Winthrop-King Centre, the Shorter Hawks will find out Saturday if they can continue their offensive show to win a game somewhere else.

Searching for their first road victory of the season, the Hawks head to Cleveland, Tenn., to meet Gulf South Conference newcomer and former NAIA rival Lee Saturday night in a contest that marks the midpoint of Shorter's GSC campaign.

"We're playing better," head coach Chad Warner said as the Hawks (7-8 overall, 4-5 GSC) enter the game coming off impressive wins last week over West Florida and Valdosta State. "But we've got to figure out how to win on the road."

"We gave the guys a day off and the coaches were able to do some recruiting," the coach said about how midseason break this past week has helped. "But our focus is to get better every day."

The two conference wins last week offered a hint of just how much better the Hawks have gotten as they rolled past West Florida 94-80 and then took care of Valdosta State 98-84, each decision coming about through two of the most accurate shooting displays Shorter has had this season.

Against West Florida, the Hawks ended the night converting a remarkable 58 percent of their shots from the floor. Dedric Ware headed up the attack with 34 points and 8 assists. Three more Hawks joined in in double figures as Brandon Pullman and Jordan Jacks 15 each (Jacks also had 12 rebounds), and Travis Jones added 11.

Last Saturday against Valdosta, Shorter was at it again thanks to an impressive second half. After trailing by two points at the half, the Hawks came out for the final 20 minutes of play hitting 62 percent from the floor and finished the game with a 57 percent field goal accuracy.

Balance was the order of the day as five Hawks had double-digit performances with Pullman connecting for 27 points, Ware adding 19, Jones chipping in 16 to go with 12 rebounds, Jacks finishing with 14 and Kurtis Woods added 10.

"Our shot selection is better," Warner said. "They understand when and where they can get their shots."

Warner knows that the same kind of effort – and more – is needed when the Hawks visit the Flames (6-8, 2-6), the first of three straight road tests with a trip to Union in Jackson, Tenn., set for next Thursday and a matchup against North Alabama on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Florence, Ala.

"This league is unbelievably balanced," said Warner, noting that the Hawks are one of seven teams in the GSC in a logjam with four wins apiece. "There's so much parity, from top to bottom. Anyone can beat anybody on any given night."