COCHRAN, Ga. — The Thomas Night Hawks delivered a statement win on the road Wednesday night, using a scorching first half and clutch playmaking down the stretch to to secure a 94-88 victory over Middle Georgia State at Morris Gym.
Thomas (15-12, 8-9 SSAC) came out firing, storming to a 54-38 halftime lead behind lights-out shooting and suffocating defense. The Night Hawks drained 10 three-pointers in the first half and shot a blistering 51.8 percent from the field. Even as Middle Georgia State (16-7, 12-5 SSAC) made a late push, Thomas maintained composure, converting at the free-throw line and making timely defensive stops to seal the win.
The Night Hawks wasted no time asserting themselves, with Joshua Robertson setting the tone early by converting a steal into a fast-break layup. Andre Lightbourne followed with back-to-back three-pointers, and Jailin Lee and Armani Thomas added their own triples to help Thomas take a commanding 33-13 lead with 10:32 remaining in the first half.
Atraiel Washington brought the Thomas bench to its feet with a powerful dunk at the 10-minute mark, capping off a brilliant offensive stretch in which the Night Hawks shot over 55 percent from the field. Thomas finished the first half with 10 three-pointers and an impressive 15 assists on 21 made field goals.
After falling behind by as many as 20, the Knights found their footing in the second half. Nick Cham caught fire for Middle Georgia State, scoring 18 of his 20 points after halftime, including a deep three-pointer that cut the Thomas lead to 78-73 with just over five minutes remaining.
With the pressure mounting, Thomas turned to its veterans. Lee silenced the home crowd with a clutch three-pointer to push the lead back to eight. On the next possession, Lightbourne came up with a key defensive stop, forcing a turnover that led to free throws for Chris Dorbor, who calmly sank both shots.
The Knights continued to battle, trimming the deficit to four points with under two minutes to play. But Thomas refused to fold and went 11-12 from the line in the remaining two minutes.
Lee led the way for the Night Hawks with 24 points, showing off his versatility with three triples and an incredible 11-of-12 effort from the charity stripe. Armani Thomas was nearly perfect from the field, going 7-of-8 including four three-pointers—for 18 points. Lightbourne was equally lethal, adding 16 points while connecting on four threes of his own.
Dorbor and Washington also provided key scoring, finishing with 14 and 11 points, respectively. The Thomas bench was a major factor, outscoring Middle Georgia State's reserves 53-44.
Beyond their offensive explosion, the Night Hawks displayed defensive grit, forcing key turnovers and limiting the Knights' three-point attempts (6-for-14). Deonta Jones controlled the glass with 10 rebounds, while Robertson played the role of facilitator with five assists.
Thomas returns to SSAC play with a regular season finale against ABAC this Saturday at home to celebrate Senior Day.
