Hawks Fall, 92-85, to Host Birmingham-Southern in Christmas Classic

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Huntingdon College men's basketball team dropped its' six game of the season, 92-85, to host Birmingham-Southern College in the Birmingham-Southern Christmas Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks trailed 44-33 at the half, and struggled stopping the Panthers' offense in the loss.

In the first half, the Hawks' led 20-14 with 11:22 left in the first half, prior to the Panthers' 12-0 run. Birmingham-Southern took a 26-20 lead after the 12 point run, before freshman Jason Varney's three-pointer ended the Panthers' scoring streak.

Huntingdon struggled scoring in the first half shooting 12-of-26 (46 percent), while Birmingham-Southern extended the lead 41-30 from a 7-0 run with 4:41 left in the half. The Panthers shot 68 percent in the first period, hitting on 15-of-22 attempts.

In the second half, Huntingdon never regained a lead, but fought back cutting the deficit down to six points, 89-83, after freshman Dayne Smith converted a pair of free throws with :24 seconds left in the contest. However, time was against the Hawks' comeback and Birmingham-Southern finished with the 92-85 victory.

Senior Deshaun Williams led the team with a season-high 20 points, including a team-high four rebounds. Senior Ephriam Hudson added 18 points, while senior Jack Montgomery contributed 12 points and four rebounds in the loss.

For the game, Birmingham-Southern held a 35-25 advantage on the glass. The Panthers' converted 60 percent of its shots, hitting 29-of-48, while Huntingdon finished 27-of-60 (45 percent).

Birmingham-Southern (7-1) was led by Patrick Price with 17 points, followed by Blaise White's 14. Zac Richards had a game-high 10 rebounds in the victory.

Huntingdon (4-6) travels to New Orleans, La. on Wednesday, Dec. 22, against the University of New Orleans (5-3). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

For more information on Huntingdon athletics, visit www.HuntingdonHawks.com.