ROME, Ga. – The Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team dropped a 66-61 Gulf South Conference bout against the Hawks of Shorter University on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from the Winthrop-King Centre.  
 
The Warhawks outscored the Hawks 37-31 in half number two, but a 24-point effort in half number one proved to be the difference maker in the contest. 
 
With the loss, AUM's record drops to 2-6, while the Hawks improve to 4-9.
 
Three Warhawks scored in double figures on the night, with Maharrith Jackson and Sam Youngblood leading the way with 14 points and eight rebounds each. Youngblood's rebound tally matched a career-high for the freshman guard.
 
Jeremiah Bozeman added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Orange and Black. 
 
Both teams accounted for five points each over the first three and a half minutes of the game, but the Hawks would use a 13-3 run from the 16:13 mark to the 11:52 mark to climb out to an 18-8 lead over AUM. 
 
The Warhawks would eventually settle into a groove, however, and finish the half by knocking down seven of 14 and outscoring the Hawks 17-16 to trail 35-24 at the break.
 
AUM opened up half number two by sinking four of their first five field goals and outscoring Shorter 13-6 to bring their deficit to just 41-37 at the 15:07 mark. Shorter would respond by scoring seven of the game's next eight points to go up 48-38 at the 12:46 mark. 
 
AUM would eventually trim their deficit to just two points on the back of a 13-5 scoring run from the 11:38 to the 4:19 mark. A pair of Roderick Smith free throws capped off the Warhawks' run and brought the score to just 55-53 in favor of the Hawks. 
 
Shorter's lead for the reminder of the game would waffle between one and two possessions, as the Hawks knocked down seven of eight free throws over the final three minutes and change to put the game away.
 
The Warhawks shot 46 percent (12-26) in half number two to finish the game at an even 40 percent (22-55) on all field goals. AUM shot just 26 percent (5-19) from three and 57 percent (12-21) from the free throw line. 
 
The men's basketball team will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 12 when they take on #25 Valdosta State in Valdosta, Ga. at 6:00 p.m. (CST)
 
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