THOMASVILLE, Ga. - After a 15-day holiday break, Thomas resumes Sun Conference (TSC) action Thursday at No. 3 Southeastern (Fla.) in its first game of the calendar year. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET.
In addition to live stats, the contest will be televised online through Stretch Internet. Updates will also be available on Thomas' official women's basketball Twitter account (@NightHawksWBKB).
Game 12/Thomas (5-6, 2-4 TSC) at #3 Southeastern (14-0, 5-0 TSC)
Thursday, Jan. 4 • 6 p.m. ET
Lakeland, Fla. • The Furnace
TV:Â Stretch Internet
Live Stats:Â Stretch Internet
Twitter Updates:Â @NightHawksWBKB
Series History:Â Thomas trails 2-7 (Thomas lost last two)
Record at Thomas:Â 2-2
Record at Southeastern:Â 0-5
Record at Neutral Site:Â 0-0
Coach Myron Brown vs. Southeastern: 0-2
ABOUT THOMAS
The Night Hawks are coming off a 63-48 loss to No. 22 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) on Dec. 20, 2017, in the Keiser (Fla.) Classic.Â
Thomas used a 10-2 run, with nine points coming fromÂ
Arianna Anderson, in the first quarter to lead Lawrence Tech by five, but the Blue Devils countered with an 11-1 spurt to give them an 18-13 edge at the end of the quarter.Â
Lawrence Tech jumped out to a 29-19 lead with 3:35 left in the second quarter and was up 32-22 at the break.
Thomas trimmed a 12-point, third-quarter deficit to four following a Kriza Allen layup with 20 seconds on the clock and climbed within 43-41 10 seconds into the fourth quarter off another Allen layup, but the Blue Devils countered with nine-straight points and closed the game on a 20-7 run.
Allen finished with a game-high 17 points off the bench. Anderson finished with 14, while De'Audra Copeland had seven. Alisha Clayton pulled down seven rebounds, while Anderson and Daycia Bandy had six.Â
The Night Hawks held an edge in rebounds, 47-38.
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN
The Fire are coming off an 87-61 win at home over No. 20 Saint Francis (Ind.) on Dec. 20, 2017, in non-conference play. The victory marked the sixth for Southeastern over an opponent that is either ranked or receiving votes.
The Fire closed the final 6:24 of the first quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 24-10 lead into the second period.
The Fire forced 11 Cougar turnovers and recorded seven steals in the second quarter. Three of the seven swipes were by Halee Printz, who posted a season-high six on the day.
Southeastern led Saint Francis, 47-26, at the half.
The Fire's Ana Richter opened the first 20 minutes of action 8-of-10 from the field with 16 points. Richter has reached double digits in the first half of five-straight contests.
Southeastern's Anissa Toumi scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter. Toumi came off the bench to post eight rebounds, eight assists and a pair of blocks and steals.
The Cougars were unable to cut the deficit below 21 in the fourth quarter.
Richter totaled 27 points on the afternoon, her 11th-consecutive 20-point game. Jaycee Coe and Emma Karamovic each tallied 17 points.
With 18 steals in the win, Southeastern has 17 or more steals in three-straight games.
Southeastern leads NAIA Division II in scoring margin (32.4) and field goal percentage (0.531) and ranks second in assists per game (21.8), field goal percentage defense (0.319), scoring offense per game (86.9) and scoring defense per game (54.6) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and 3-point field goal percentage (0.385).
Richter leads the nation in field goal percentage (0.702) and ranks second in points per game (23.5). Marlena Schmidt is ninth in blocks per game (2.0). Printz is 10th in assists per game (5.0).
Southeastern has won 27-straight games inside The Furnace and 23-consecutive league games. The Fire are 42-1 in the last two seasons. Southeastern has won 40-straight regular-season contests.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE FIRE
Thomas lost at No. 7 Southeastern, 78-51, on Feb. 2, 2017.
Micah Garvin led the Night Hawks with 14 points and added six rebounds. Anderson andÂ
Alexis Moody each had seven rebounds.
Southeastern started the game ahead 11-5 before Garvin went on a 5-0 run and cut the deficit to one, but the Fire led 20-14 lead after the first quarter.
The Fire opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run and extended its lead to 13. The Fire led 38-22 at half.
Southeastern scored the first eight points of the third quarter to lead 46-22 lead. The Night Hawks held the Fire scoreless in the last minute of the period but trailed 59-36 heading into the final quarter.
Thomas used a 10-0 run to trim the margin to 15, 61-46, but Southeastern responded with an 11-0 run and pushed its lead back to 74-48.
TIP-INS
- The Fire are 50-3 in their last 53 games, but one of those losses, their last loss in league play and the regular season, came against the Night Hawks, 70-64, inside TU Gymnasium on Feb. 10, 2016.
- Thomas ranks fifth in NAIA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage defense (0.262), eighth in offensive rebounds per game (16.3), 16th in steals per game (12.1), 19th in rebounds per game (42.5), 30th in field goal percentage defense (0.372) and 40th in scoring defense per game (64.0).
- Dymon Brown ranks 27th in steals per game (2.7). Copeland is 39th in offensive rebounds per game (3.2). Allen is 43rd in steals per game (2.5).
- Allen has averaged 19.3 points in her last three games.Â
- Thomas faces three ranked opponents - No. 3 Southeastern, No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 22 Lawrence Tech - and one that is receiving votes - Ave Maria (Fla.) - in the latest NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25. The Night Hawks lost to Indiana Wesleyan and Lawrence Tech on Dec. 19 and 20, 2017, respectively.
