Box Score By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – As has been the case for most of the season, the numbers game caught up with the Shorter Hawks in their final game of the season.

Despite an impressive start Saturday in their regular-season  finale at the Winthrop-King Centre, the Hawks were unable to match the bench visiting Lee brought with them as the Flames handed Shorter a 90-81 Gulf South Conference defeat.

The loss leaves the Hawks, who underwent a number of roster changes during the year, with a 9-17 overall record and 6-14 in the GSC for the season.

The Hawks appeared to be ready to take command of the contest when they opened the game scoring nine answered points, and when Jordan Jacks canned a pair of free throws with 14:20 to go in the half Shorter held a 15-5 lead.

That's when Lee began their run as Bryce Copeland connected on a three-pointer – the Flames third straight – to give his team its first lead, 23-22 with 9:48 to go in the opening half and over the next eight minutes the visitors methodically pulled away, assuming a 51-32 advantage with just over a minutes to go on a layup by Brice Sharp.

Helping Lee eventually take a 51-35 lead at halftime was the Flames' help coming off the bench that outscored the Hawks 22-2. That depth that Lee used proved to be the difference as the Flames ended the afternoon getting 41 points from their reserves while Shorter could only muster seven.

Still, the Hawks continued to try and reel in Lee, who maintained a comfortable double-digit lead for most of the second half.

With six minutes remaining in the game, Brandon Pullman closed the margin to 10, 71-61, when he scored on a follow. That gave the Hawks a spark and with 4:04 to go, a Jay Davis steal and a layup by Dedric Ware capped a 6-0 run by Shorter and cut Lee's lead to nine, 76-67.

Lee, however, immediately countered when Tyquan Roberts converted a three-point play to give his team an 11-point lead.

The Hawks again tried to mount a comeback and cut the difference to seven with Brock Rowan hit three fouls shots with 1:06 to go, but that was as close Shorter would get the rest of the way.

Jacks led the Hawks with his 14^th double-double outing of the year, finishing the game with 24 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Brock Rowan added a career-high 19 points, Pullman had 18 and Ware finished with 13.

Roberts came off the bench to pace Lee (10-16, 6-14) with 22 points and Corey Billingsley had 21 as the Flames placed five players in double figures.