ROME, Ga. – After a tough two-game stretch in Tennessee, the Shorter Hawks were thrilled to return to Rome, Georgia.  For the first time this season, the Hawks got to play In front of a raucous Winthrop-King Centre crowd. When the dust settled, Shorter 2-3, 0-0 GSC) snapped their two-game losing streak with a 97-84 victory over Pensacola Christian (2-8).
 
Shorter jumped out to a 13-0 lead over the Eagles before allowing a bucket. Bryan Polanco threw down a thunderous dunk over an Eagle defender to swing the momentum back in the Hawks favor. The senior from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots.
 
When the Hawks got the halftime break, they led 45-34 over the Eagles. The halftime lead marked the first time this season where Shorter took a lead into the second half.
 
Jay Shropshire led the Hawks in scoring with 20 points – nine of which came on a trio of trifecta's. In the victory, Shropshire also dropped a season-high four assists. Joseph Russell dished out a team-high five assists in the contest to go along with 13 points. Russell's assist total helped led the Shorter Hawks to a season-high 20 assists.
 
Shorter's double-digit scorers were rounded out by Keeving Etienne and Ricky Knight Jr., who scored 14 and 16 points, respectively. Etienne added six rebounds and four assists while Knight Jr. added five rebounds and three buckets from behind the arc.
 
As a team, the Hawks shot the basketball well, shooting 49.3% from the field. After halftime, Shorter caught fire from three-point land, hitting at a 52.9% rate.
 
Up Next:
The Hawks head back on the road to Fort Valley, Georgia to take on Fort Valley State University on Thursday evening. Tipoff against the Wildcats is slated for 7:30 p.m..