By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – They ended the 2013 portion of the season on a positive note.

On Saturday, the Shorter men's and women's basketball teams will be looking to begin 2014 in a similar optimistic fashion when the Hawks and Lady Hawks hit the road to Memphis to face Christian Brothers University in a showdown that marks the first of 17 straight Gulf South Conference tests they have for the rest of the season.

"The league is very competitive this year," Shorter Hawks head coach Chad Warner said as his team returns to action with a 4-5 overall record and a 1-2 GSC mark, the one conference win coming the last time the team played on Dec. 20 when they put together their best outing of the season by upending No. 24-ranked North Alabama. 

"Talking with other coaches who have been in the GSC before, they say it is as good as they can remember," he said.  "Every night you have to bring your best or anyone will beat you."

"All of our remaining games are conference games, and we start off with a very tough week," Lady Hawks head coach Vic Mitchell, who has seen his squad overcome a sluggish start and thanks to victories in three of their past four games – Shorter also toppled UNA in the final game of 2013 – carry 4-5 and 2-1 records into the new year. "We play four games in seven days with three on the road, and it's the first week of classes."

In Memphis, Shorter – the women play at 3 p.m. followed by the men at 5 – takes on a pair of CBU programs that are, like the Hawks and Lady Hawks, are anxious to improve in 2014. The Buccaneers, the defending GSC tournament champions, are 4-5 overall but are still seeking their first conference win after suffering three losses, while the CBU women hold 5-4 and 1-2 records.

On Monday, Shorter heads to Cleveland, Miss., for a pair of GSC night games against the Delta State Statesmen, which has broken out to a 9-2 overall record and a 2-1 conference slate, and the No. 11-ranked DSU women (8-1, 3-0).

The Hawks and Lady Hawks return home on Thursday, Jan. 9 to host conference contenders Alabama-Huntsville, then closes out the busy week back on the bus for a trip to face West Alabama.

"I look forward to seeing how much we can progress as a team this year," said Warner. "We have won some close ones and lost some close ones.  The thing that we will stress the most to our team in the coming months is the idea to deserve to win those games. 

"While we know we cannot guarantee any victories," he added, "we want to earn the right to win games."

The last time they were on the court, the Hawks proved they knew what it takes when they took control of the game against North Alabama from the opening tip, hitting 69 percent of their shots to take a commanding 28-point halftime lead and eventually claim a 90-72 win.

Dedric Ware turned in his best outing of the season as the guard, who was held to just 10 points in the previous two games, exploded for 37 points, sinking 10 of his 15 shots from the floor (7 of 9 from three-point land), pulling down seven rebounds, and dishing out six assists.

Ware leads the Hawks averaging 18.2 points, while four other teammates are giving the Hawks double-digit help. Kurtis Woods holds a 17.9 scoring average; Jordan Jacks is on a double-double pace providing 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds; Brandon Pullman is at 12.6; and Travis Jones is averaging 10 points as the Hawks as a team are scoring 92 points a game.

"We hope to continue to get better on the defensive end of the floor and playing with great positive energy," Warner said. "We have a lot of new faces and we have to learn to trust each other more as the season progresses."

Adjusting and trusting is what the Lady Hawks have had to do.

After losing senior inside veteran Lindsey Crawford to a season-ending injury before the year started, the Shorter women struggled out of the gate but in their final four games of 2013 they emerged victorious in three of them.

"We had a chance to win all four," Mitchell said. "But I was pleased with the way we finished up after getting off to a 1 – 4 start." 

Ieshia Alexander has developed into the go-to player for the Lady Hawks, leading the team with a 15.2 ppg average and is hitting 50 percent of her shots from the floor, including a 43 percent mark from beyond the three-point arc.

Karisma Boykin backs her up averaging 14 points, while Lynette Harris and Kristin Nash have provided the points – both average 9 points – and the rebounds, with Harris pulling down 5.3 boards and Nash at 4.9.

"We have played pretty well on defense so far, but we need to shoot the ball a little more consistently on the offensive end of the court," Mitchell said. "We have done a good job for the most part in taking care of the basketball and rebounding.  We need to improve our half-court offense by getting more points in the paint which in turn will improve our overall shooting percentage.

"It is a very busy time for our players and how we handle the travel and the beginning of classes will be very important to our success," he said. "I look forward to seeing how we respond to the challenges ahead."