THOMASVILLE, Ga. – Another contest in the 2021-22 season would come down to the final possession with the Thomas University Men's basketball team up by two or fewer points, but this time, the Night Hawks were unable to clinch the win, as St. Thomas' Chris Whitaker delivered the walkoff layup as time expired to give the Green & White a heartbreaking 80-79 loss Thursday night at TU Gymnasium.
Thomas (10-12, 4-8 SUN) had the lead for the majority of the contest, but St. Thomas (10-8, 7-5 SUN) would occasionally take a lead no larger than one possession. The Night Hawks finished the night shooting over 46% from the court and hitting 9-of-25 from long range while converting 16 of 18 shots from the free-throw line.
Senior Guard
Jordan Booker recorded a season-high 23 points, shooting over 58% from the field while posting six assists and two steals. Senior Guard
Toriano Lewis had a first half performance to remember, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 en route to an 80% conversion rate from the floor and a 12-point night.
TU began the contest on its hottest streak yet, jumping out to score the contest's first eight points that ultimately turned into a 24-8 lead at the 11:27 mark, giving the Green & White its largest lead (16) of the night. The Bobcats would not allow the double-digit lead to last for long, as STU responded with their own scoring run (20-8) that spanned over the next seven minutes to cut the lead to four (32-28).
With the slim lead under four minutes in the first half, Thomas went on a quick 8-0 run in a 1:32 span to rebuild a double-digit lead. While the Night Hawks finished the first half keeping a decent lead, St. Thomas would ensure its halftime deficit would be in single digits, as TU went into the locker room with a 44-35 lead.
At first, the second half began eerily similar to the Night Hawks-Bobcats' first meeting in Miami Gardens, as STU crawled back to within a few possessions, threatening to take the lead. However, after Bobcats' Augustus Stone hit a trey to bring the scoring difference to four (49-45) in favor of TU, the Green & White built its lead back into double-digits once more, holding its second-half largest lead 57-45 with 14:47 remaining. But once again, the lead would not hold, as the Burgundy & Navy would climb back to eventually tie the contest 65-65 at the 7:11 mark.
After each team exchanged three baskets, the contest remained tied (69-69) heading into the final five minutes. A go-ahead layup from Junior Guard
Justin Figueroa gave Thomas would have been a 71-69, but the Brooklyn, N.Y. picked up a technical foul that would not only end his night on the floor, but also give STU the necessary free throws to keep the game tied (71-71) with 3:12 left. Within the next minute, Booker would post a basket and two made free throws to put TU back up 75-71.
With a 77-76 lead heading into the final minute, Senior Guard
Tim Williamson took a gamble, shooting a long 3-Ptr. that would miss, giving St. Thomas a potential chance to retake the lead. After a Booker foul allowed STU's Chris Whitaker to retake the lead (78-77), the Bobcats returned the favor with a foul from Jahsim Floyd, as Williamson hit both free throws to give Thomas a 79-78 lead with 6.6 seconds remaining. The lead was not meant to be, however, as Whitaker drove down the court and forced a contested layup that fell through as time expired to secure a slim 80-79 win for St. Thomas.
TU by the Numbers
3: Players shooting 50% or better
5: Players in double figures
7: Players registering minutes
9: Team made 3-ptrs.
17: Team assists
36: Rebounds allowed to SUN's top rebounding team
44: First half points (season-high)
79: Points scored
Thomas will look to rebound Saturday against Florida Memorial for another SUN Conference matchup. Tipoff at TU Gymnasium is set 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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