COCHRAN, Ga. – The Thomas University men's basketball team picked up its second consecutive win of the season as they defeated Middle Georgia State 71-68 this evening on the road.
 
Head coach Brent Crews reflected on his squad's performance, "At the beginning of the game, we have to not let our offense, whether we are making or missing shots, dictate the rest of game flow and how we will play.  We came out 'off' tonight with our better shooters missing open looks, and the team thought we were playing bad.  We have to get over that hump and realize that defense is only as good as our offensive and vice versa."
 
The Knights jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game as Ryan Wilkins landed a three from the right side of the arch and a 20 foot jumper.  The Night Hawks, who did not score their first basket of the game until the 4:50 mark, struggled offensively from the tip.  The Hunter Green and White missed all six of their shots until Mike Lyons' lay in put the Night Hawks on the board.
 
Middle Georgia would pull away for two, seven-point leads twice in the opening half (12-5, 28-21), but Thomas hung tough tying the game at 30-30 on one of Adonai Rogers' 11-of-13 free throws in the first half with 64 second lefts in the opening frame.
 
Thomas and Middle Georgia traded handles of the lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half with no side taking the clear advantage.  With 8:11 left in the game, the Night Hawks would begin a 9-0 run that would hand Thomas their largest lead, seven points, of the game at 62-55.
 
The Purple and Black battled back in the final two minutes to take a 68-64 lead over Thomas, but Javoris Cooks cut the gap to 68-67 on a deep three from the left side of the arch.  Once again, Rogers stepped in to convert his final two free-throws of the game, finishing 13-for-15 from the line, to give Thomas the 69-68 lead.  With 22 ticks left on the clock, the Knights would foul Cooks as a final effort at a hoped miss from the line.  Cooks, however, stood tall and sank both shots to seal the 71-68 victory for Thomas.
 
"Getting to the free-throw line tonight really helped our ability to stay in the game.  Rogers was simply untouchable at the line. I'm proud of the grit and grind our guys showed and the effort displayed in a tough battle such as this.  We now rest, ice, and prep for the weekend."
 
The Night Hawks return to action on Saturday, Nov. 7 as they travel to Brunswick, Ga., to face College of Coastal Georgia.  Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
 
By the Numbers:
2 – Career wins by head coach Brent Crews
3 – Days until Thomas faces Coastal Georgia
3 – Night Hawks in double figures in scoring
8 – Game high total of rebounds by Adonai Rogers
24 – Turnovers by Middle Georgia
30 – Combined number of points scored by points leaders Adonai Rogers (17) and DJ Roulhac (13)
31.8 – Thomas' field goal percentage
44 – Total rebounds by the Night Hawks
71 – Points scored by Thomas
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU men's basketball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksMBKB.