LAKELAND, Fla. – The Thomas University Men's basketball team pulled off one of the nation's most bizarre upsets of the day Thursday night, extinguishing the #18 Fire of Southeastern 68-59 for the second, consecutive year at The Furnace, snapping a seven-game win streak for the SUN Conference's current first-place team.
TU (10-10, 4-6 SUN) became the first team this season to hold SEU (18-4, 8-2 SUN) under the 60-point mark, thanks to tremendous defense from the field. Just three months after setting a new program record for 3-pt. Field defense (.182), the Green & White set an even stronger mark, limiting Southeastern to 17.2% from long range. The Night Hawks subdued the Fire's 3-Point game, allowing just five made treys to the NAIA's best team in 3-Ptrs. Made a game.
Offensively, TU's 3-Pt. scoring was as equally astonishing, shooting a season-best 50% from outside the perimeter (8-for-16). The Night Hawks overall shot 45.3%, while knocking down 12 of 16 shots (75%) from the free-throw line.
Senior Guard
Tim Williamson played a full 40 minutes, posting a season-high 24 points against the SUN Conference's best Field Goal defense, shooting over 61% from the floor. Fifth-year Forward DeSean Enzor tallied 15 points with five boards and two blocks, as the Tallahassee, Fla. native also went 3-for-4 from downtown.
Similar to both teams' earlier meeting in November, Southeastern maintained a slim, single-digit lead over Thomas in the first half, as Devon Ford set the tone with three, straight baskets to give the Fire a 6-0 lead. The Night Hawks would see its first lead of the contest after Freshman
Micah Stinson converted a layup to give TU a 15-14 lead at the 10:57 mark.
The Fire would see its largest lead extend as far as eight points (31-23) after Reggie Mesidor hit both pair of free throws with 1:02 remaining in the first half. The Night Hawks quickly cut the deficit down to three in the half's final minute to head into the locker room trailing by one possession (31-28).
It was not long before Thomas would tie the contest (35-35) again in the second half with a 3-Ptr. from Enzor at the 17:58 mark. Senior Guard
Toriano Lewis would give the Night Hawks the lead for good (41-40) with his only made trey of the game with 14:37 remaining.
The Green & white held the Fire scoreless in the contest's final 2:38 to clinch their fourth, SUN Conference win of the season and tenth overall.
TU by the Numbers
4: Games TU has kept an opponent shooting under 40%
5: 3-Ptrs. allowed to the nation's best 3-Pt. team
7: Night Hawks that played
9: SEU's largest margin of defeat this season
11: Games with 10 or fewer turnovers
20: Career wins for Head Coach TJ Rines
59: Points allowed
68: Points scored
Thomas will look to build off its upset win Saturday afternoon at the Golisano Fieldhouse where the Night Hawks will attempt to snap a seven-game skid against Ave Maria. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
For up-to-date information on games 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
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