CENTRAL, S.C.- Amya Patterson and Chelsy Singleton entered the Tysinger Gymnasium with a vendetta on Wednesday night, combing for 48 points while Amari Butler recorded a conference-high eight steals in a record setting performance as the trio led the Hawks to a 71-62 victory against Southern Wesleyan. 

Southern Wesleyan got off to a hot start in the first with five unanswered before a jumper from Chelsy Singleton, but then proceeded to score six more before Jaliyah Zackery could respond on Shorter's behalf. The Hawks found themselves in an eight-point deficit until Amya Patterson was able to splash two triples back-to-back, cutting the lead to just two points. The Warriors were able to strike back with a triple of their own, but Amya Patterson was able to slice the margin back to two points with a free-throw and a layup, ending the frame down 17-15.

The second quarter started with Amya Patterson exchanging blows with the Warriors' offense, but a layup and a triple from Southern Wesleyan would extend the Warriors' lead by eight once more. However, the Hawks' offense exploded in the final minutes before halftime with a jumper from Chelsy Singleton and another hit from behind the arc from Amya Patterson, as Shorter ended the first half trailing 35-31.

 

The Warriors drew first blood in the second half ripping the ropes from the paint. Shorter proceeded to put on an unfathomable display of offense as Chelsy Singleton caught nylon from behind the curtain, and then Amari Butler went one-for-two at the stripe. Singleton returned to the paint for seconds and laid it in, and suddenly the game was tied at 39-all. Amya Patterson joined in on the feast in the paint with a lay-up of her own and then proceeded to add one more from the charity stripe. Kalyn Williams poured on two of her own from the paint, and Singleton hit a jumper to rub salt in the wound. Williams returned for two more, as Shorter completed a 14-0 run to take a 48-39 lead. Another shootout between Amya Patterson and the Warriors would end the third with the Hawks up 51-44.


Amari Butler broke the ice in the final frame with a successful glide down the lane, giving Shorter a nine-point lead to open up the fourth. Singleton and Patterson would go back-to-back from the paint as well, with Patterson earning a perfect two-shot trip to the stripe to go along with it. Patterson returned to the stripe again, joined by Singleton, as the pair iced the game to deliver Shorter their sixth straight victory in a 71-62 final.

 

The Hawks dominated the field, going 25-of-54 (46.3%) from the floor. Amya Patterson and Chelsy Singleton each scored a career-high 24 points, with Singleton recording a career-best six steals to add on. Amari Butler proved to be the difference maker down the stretch, chipping in nine points and recording a conference-best eight steals proving her dominance on defense. 



UP NEXT

Shorter will return to Rome next Thursday where they will host King for a 5:30 PM tip-off. 
 

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