THOMASVILLE, Ga. – When the final buzzer sound, the Thomas University Men's basketball team appeared to have achieved victory, but a controversial technical foul call gave Keiser two more free throw shots, which was all the Seahawks needed to defeat the Night Hawks 67-66 Saturday evening in a thrilling TSC game that featured a bizarre finish.
 
Thomas (2-9, 2-3 TSC) had its best performance of the season yet from long range, shooting 53.8% as a team.  While the team also shot successfully from the field (50.9), free throws became TU's Achilles' heel, as the team went 5-for-13 from the charity stripe.
 
The game saw its first basket scored one minute and 16 seconds in with a good layup from Junior Guard Jordan Booker.  The game took a turn for Keiser (5-4, 2-2 TSC) when the team tied the game at 15 at the 12:43, as their lead scorer CoreVon Lott received a technical for unsportsmanlike conduct after a good layup.  The Seahawks saw its first lead with 8:23 in the half when Darius Bryant drained a 3-Pointer to KU up 25-22 over TU.  The lead would be short lived, as Junior Guard Toriano Lewis quickly tied the game with a 3-Pointer of his own.  After exchanging baskets, Thomas went on a 9-2 scoring run that lasted 2:21, ignited by a 3-Pointer from Redshirt Sophomore Guard Keon Williams, to give the Night Hawks a 36-29 lead.  Keiser responded in fashion, finishing the first half with their own scoring run (11-0) to take a 40-36 halftime lead.
 
The Night Hawks quickly made up the deficit within the first minute of the second half, tallying five points behind a Keon Williams 3 and a Jordan Booker layup to retake a 41-40 lead.  While both teams exchanged baskets midway through the second half, Keiser shifted the game momentum by scoring an extra basket to hold a one-possession lead, but the Night Hawks found a way to tie the game again at 59 with a good jumper from Senior Tre Alexandrea at the 5:23 mark.
 
Following Alexandrea's basket, the game would see a 1:46 scoring drought before an Antwan Claxton layup gave the lead back to Keiser.  Both squads continued to exchange baskets all the way down to the final minute, as Jordan Booker capitalized on the go-ahead layup to give TU a 66-65 lead with 27 seconds left.  On the game's next possession, Keiser's Darius Bryant was pick-pocketed by NAIA's leading stealer, which led to a foul and an opportunity to tack on crucial points at the free-throw line.
 
Booker was unable to connect on the one-and-one, leading to one final push by the Seahawks that fell short as KU's CoreVon Lott's attempted 3-Pointer fell shy.  The Night Hawks bench erupted with celebration, until a referee blew the whistle ten seconds later to call a technical foul on the Night Hawks that gave Darius Bryant the chance to redeem himself and win the game for Keiser 67-66 off two made free throws.
 
For the fifth, consecutive game, Jordan Booker recorded five or more steals while leading all scorers with 20 points on the night.  Toriano Lewis had another productive night, shooting 60% from beyond the arch.  Junior Guard Tim Williamson went 5-for-7 from the field, tallying 13 points and nine boards.
 
The Night Hawks take a break from The Sun Conference play Saturday, December 12, taking on the Owls of Kennesaw State.  Tipoff at the KSU Convocation Center is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
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.