‘Canes blow past Braves on the road
Published 5:05 pm Thursday, January 28, 2016
- Photo by Chris Fenn: Adam Thoseby lays up a basket during a Jan. 16 contest in Americus. Thoseby led the ‘Canes to victory over the Braves with 19 points in the Jan. 23 road contest.
From STAFF REPORTS
PEMBROKE, N.C. – Adam Thoseby scored a team-high 19 points to lead a balanced Georgia Southwestern scoring attack in the English E. Jones Center on Jan. 23 as the Hurricanes defeated UNC Pembroke, 81-70. GSW had four of its five starters score in double digits.
The Hurricanes improved their record to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) while UNC Pembroke fell to 10-9, 4-6 in the conference. Southwestern is currently 3-3 this season against teams from the east division of the PBC.
GSW shot a scorching 56.5 percent (13 of 23) from beyond the arc for its second-highest three-point shooting percentage in a game this season. It was also their second-best night of the 2015-16 campaign from the charity stripe, where they sank 20 of 23 attempts (87.0 percent).
Southwestern broke open a tied game midway through the first half with a 7-0 run and never trailed again. GSW held a 36-32 halftime advantage and improved its record to 6-1 this season when leading at the break.
The sides exchanged baskets to open the second period before GSW took command of the contest with a 12-3 run to stretch their lead to 13 points with 14:10 to play.
UNCP managed to pull within five points, 55-50, at the 9:27 mark, but Jure Gunjina swung the momentum back into GSW’s favor with a three-pointer on the ensuing Hurricane possession.
Any hopes the Braves had for a late comeback were squashed as Thoseby sank a three-pointer with 4:01 remaining. The final 14 points for the Hurricanes came from the free throw line where they sank 14 of 16 attempts.
Thoseby connected on three of four from beyond the arc and six of nine shots overall en route to his 19 points. Damien Leonard drained four of six from long range and finished with 17 points, matching Gunjina with a team-high six rebounds. Gunjina scored 16 points and Brandon Price came up one assist shy of a double-double for the second straight game as he posted 12 points and nine assists against the Braves.
Brandon Watts scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the first half to lead UNCP. Watts added a game-high nine rebounds. Brandon Winford chipped in 13 points and James Murray-Boyles scored 12.
The Hurricanes return home to host Clayton State on Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. for Chamber Night in the Storm Dome.
