THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University women's basketball team defeated Johnson & Wales University, 66-61, Saturday at the TU Gymnasium to earn the Night Hawks' first Sun Conference victory of the season. 

Thomas improves to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the league while JWU drops to 1-3, 0-2. 

The Night Hawks jumped out to a 33-24 lead at the half, but JWU won the third quarter, 19-15, drawing the margin within four. The squads tied the fourth quarter at 18 apiece, giving TU the 66-61 victory. 

TU knocked down 40.6 percent (28-69) of its shots from the field and hit 6-of-15 (40.0%) from three. The Night Hawks had just 10 turnovers, the second lowest total of the season. The TU bench scored 34 points, the second-straight game with at least 20 points from the reserves. 

Senior Dymon Brown and junior Ashley Bostick each netted 13 points while sophomore Alisha Clayton grabbed eight rebounds. 

Thomas scored the first bucket of the game, a jumper from sophomore Pkacia Johnson, but JWU took off on a 6-0 run over the first four minutes of the quarter. Bostick knocked down a three with 2:47 left in the first to take the 11-10 lead, then made a layup and junior Jewel Montisano hit a trey to go ahead by six at the end of the first, 16-10. 

Just 45 seconds into the second, TU took a 10-point lead, then extended that margin to 18 halfway through the period. JWU hit layups and jumpers, then ended the half with a three to trail by nine at the break. 

TU led, 41-31, with four minutes left in the third, but JWU again closed in, drawing the margin within five after three quarters. 

The Wildcats tied the game at 50 with seven minutes to play, but TU took off on an 11-2 run to go ahead 61-52. JWU knocked down four free throws and a jumper, but Thomas answered with a pair of jumpers. Brown put the game out of reach by hitting a free throw with 15 seconds left, taking home the five-point win. 

Thomas is on the road for four consecutive games, beginning with a matchup at the University  of Mobile on Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m.