ROME- Five Hawks scored in double figures to help lead Shorter (7-9, 5-5) to an offensively sound 91-84 victory over Young Harris Monday night. 

Back-to-back threes from Jalien Bush helped elevate the Hawks to a hot start as they took the early 10-4 lead. Bush continued to thrive offensively, as Axel Holmquist began to show dominance under the basket to put the Hawks ahead 18-11. Young Harris' offense found their footing, as they went on a 9-2 run to even it at 20 all. Both sides continued to trade the lead for the remainder of the period, as the Hawks managed to enter halftime in front 39-38 thanks to strong work from Chris Bibbs and Jalien Bush. 

Ja'Myas Davis and Chris Bibbs breathed life into the Hawks as the duo connected on back-to-back threes to put the Hawks ahead 47-42. The visitors continued to knock on the door of the Hawks lead, taking a 53-51 lead at the 13:57 mark. The Hawks' remained poised as Bibbs and Bush continued to pour it on for Shorter as both teams traded the lead. After a slow start, Donovan Shangase found his rhythm, knocking down big shots to keep the Hawks afloat. After falling behind 69-67, Ja'Myas Davis exploded for 12 straight points to put the Hawks in front 77-72. After a late push from the visitors, Donovan Shangase put the nail in the coffin with a huge three down the stretch and a pair of free throws to put it out of reach for the Mountain Lions. The Hawks closed out the game with successful trips to the line to knock off the visitors in a resounding 91-84 victory. 

The Hawks were incredibly efficient, shooting 30-of-51 (58.8%) from the field, 14-of-24 (58.3%) and a season-high 17-of-20 (85%) from the free-throw line. The Hawks recorded a season-high 20 assists, solidifying them as one of the top producing teams in the conference. Chris Bibbs was an all-around threat, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Ja'Myas Davis finished with 19 points as Jalien Bush scored 18 and grabbed five rebounds. Donovan Shangase flirted with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine assists, as Axel Holmquist rounded out the Hawks going a perfect 5-of-5 with 10 points and five rebounds. 

"Our guys showed a ton of resilience tonight by coming back after a one-day off to get ready to face one of the better teams in the conference", said Head Coach Wade Anderson. "We had people coming off the bench making big shots. We had 20 assists, which is where we want to be and getting big stops. We just have to continue to build off this moving forward". 

UP NEXT

The Hawks will travel to South Carolina to square off against Southern Wesleyan Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. 
 

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