ROME, Ga. – After being held to single-digits in the last two games, Shorter's Phil Taylor got his touch back Saturday afternoon when the junior guard connected for a game-high 32 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds to help the Hawks defeat Mississippi College 87-80 in a Gulf South Conference clash at the Winthrop-King Centre.

The victory snaps what had been a four-game conference losing skid for the Hawks, now 7-8 overall and 2-7 in the GSC, and gives them the momentum they were looking for heading into a league showdown Monday night at home against conference leader Delta State.

Taylor, who is averaging 24.1 points a game but was held to eight and nine points, respectively in Shorter's last two outings, connecting on 11 of 20 shots from the floor – he was three of six from three-point range – and canned seven of eight free throws from the foul line, including four straight in the final minute that sealed the win.

Alijah Bennett was also in the zone for the Hawks, who shot a solid 58 percent from the field, with 16 points as the junior sank seven of his 12 shots, while sophomore Amonte Potter came off the bench to add 10.

The Hawks took control in the first half overcoming a quick start by the Choctaws (4-6, 3-5) and took the lead they would never lose when Taylor hit a jumper nearly six minutes into the game.

Taylor then gave his team its biggest lead of the first 20 minutes of play, 36-28, when he found the mark with a three-pointer and the Hawks went on to hold a 39-35 lead at the break.

Shorter continued holding the upperhand in the second half, assuming its biggest advantage of the night 71-58, when Bennett hit a jumper with 6:46 to play, but saw Mississippi College quickly close the gap thanks to the long-range shooting of Jonathan McGee, who hit three three-pointers over a two-minute span to bring his team back to within striking distance.

A free throw by Tory Rice with 3:36 remaining cut Shorter's lead to one, 73-72, but that was as close as the Choctaws would get as Taylor answered with a basket in the lane and a trey to put the Hawks back up by five and with 55 seconds left Cole Birchfield nailed a three to keep the Hawks in control and set the stage for Taylor's four free throws that sealed the win.

McGee, who was eight of 10 from beyond the three-point arc, led the Choctaws with 29 points and Johnny Rucker added 15.