THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas Night Hawks (5-4, 1-0 SSAC) battled against the ABAC Fillies (1-4, 0-1 SSAC) in the SSAC opener on Saturday afternoon at the TU Gym. 

The two teams went shot for shot in the first quarter, as Zyi'Kiera King drained a three to tie the game with 7:09 left in the quarter. King then hit another three to give the Night Hawks the lead. Next, an and-one from LaTarius Montgomery increased the lead to four.  

However, the Fillies continued to attack, as they made a three to take back the lead. But Tieraney Bolton made three of her own to put Thomas in front again.  

After ABAC tied the game at 19, a pair of three-pointers from Kennedy Collins and Nandi Ramessar gave the Night Hawks the lead going into the second quarter. 

The Fillies started off the second with a three-ball from Shakiria Chaney to make it a one-possession game. Then a free throw from Taylor Frazier tied the game at 25.  

With 7:52 to go, Montgomery drew a foul and made one shot from the charity stripe to gain the lead. The scoring from earlier slowed down as either team struggled to find a bucket. 

The Night Hawks went on a short 5-0 run, starting with a free throw from Ringold, followed by a jumper from Ameari Logan and a perfect trip to the line for Montgomery. But ABAC did not go away as Resse Riddle knocked down a three with 2:53 to go, cutting the Thomas lead to two. Then a layup from Chaney tied the game once more. 

Destiny Hill weaved her way through defenders for a layup and the foul, converting the and-one to go up by three. Then with 41 seconds to go in the half, King hit her fourth three of the half to extend the lead to six. 

After a missed three by Chaney, Hill took the ball the length of the floor to make a layup as the clock ran out to end the half with an eight-point lead. 

Coming out of the break, following a rebound from Montgomery, she found Collins for a deep two to bring the lead to double digits. After a layup from Riddle, Collins knocked down a three to go up by 11. 

From there, the scoring once again went stagnant for Thomas until Tieraney Bolton drew a foul and made both her free throws.  

The Fillies began to claw their way back into the game as a Riddle layup, and four made free throws from Chaney cut the lead to five. Hill responded with a layup, then blocked Chaney's last-second shot before the quarter came to end. 

Collins started the final quarter as she began the third, knocking down a three to bring the lead again to double digits. ABAC responded with one of their own, until Collins took over, hitting three straight threes to rock the Fillies. Hill and Collins both hit a pair of layups to make it a 20-point lead. Ramessar and Montgomery added to the scoring as they rode a 20-3 run which put the game away as the Night Hawks won 70-52.  

Collins finished with 24 points, with 16 of her points coming in the final quarter. She was also 6-14 from deep, adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal. 

Hill and Montgomery finished with double-doubles. Hill had 11 points, 15 boards, five assists, two steals and a block. While Montgomery had 10 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. 

Thomas will rest for a day and then will go right back to it on Monday, November 24th at 2:00pm for a home matchup against Ave Maria.