Georgia Southwestern men open with win over Shorter

AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia Southwestern State University men’s basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with an 87-80 victory over Shorter University on Tuesday night, using a second-half offensive surge and relentless defensive pressure to pull away from the Hawks in front of 993 fans at the Storm Dome.

Behind a game-high 22 points from Landon King and a balanced offensive effort that featured four players scoring in double figures, the Hurricanes improved to 1-0 on the season while handing Shorter (0-1) a loss in its opener.

GSW connected on 11 three-pointers, forced 19 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 31 points to overcome a Shorter squad that shot 51.7 percent from the field.

Back-and-Forth First Half

Neither team could establish much separation in an opening half that featured several momentum swings.

King provided an early spark for the Hurricanes, knocking down three first-half three-pointers, while Tahj Johnson contributed seven points before the break.

GSW built a six-point advantage, 20-14, midway through the period following a steal and fastbreak layup by Dre Weathers. Shorter responded with a 17-6 stretch to take a 31-26 lead with just over three minutes remaining.

The Hurricanes answered with a 7-0 run, capped by King’s third three-pointer of the half, to reclaim a 33-31 advantage with 52 seconds remaining.

After the Hawks tied the game at 33, Johnson connected on a jumper with 20 seconds left to send GSW into halftime holding a narrow 35-33 lead.

Hawks Keep the Pressure On

Shorter came out firing after the break, scoring six unanswered points to grab a 39-35 advantage less than two minutes into the second half.

The Hurricanes responded behind King’s perimeter shooting and contributions from their bench, but neither team could gain control as the lead continued to change hands.

The Hawks held a 63-60 advantage with 7:55 remaining following a three-pointer from Keylson Turner, setting the stage for GSW’s decisive stretch.

Hurricanes Take Control Down the Stretch

Georgia Southwestern seized momentum with a 12-2 run over the next two and a half minutes, turning a three-point deficit into a 72-65 advantage.

Cam Perkins ignited the rally with a layup and followed with a three-pointer that stretched the lead to six. AJ Baskerville then connected from beyond the arc to push the Hurricanes ahead by seven with 5:32 remaining.

GSW continued to apply pressure, with Perkins adding another basket before Baskerville drilled his second three-pointer of the closing stretch to extend the lead to 78-69 with just over four minutes to play.

A Baskerville tip-in pushed the advantage to double figures, and the Hurricanes eventually built their largest lead of the night, 86-74, following a King fastbreak layup with 1:25 remaining.

Shorter trimmed the margin in the final minute, but the Hurricanes held on to secure the seven-point victory.

King Leads Balanced Offensive Attack

King paced Georgia Southwestern with 22 points, connecting on five of his 11 attempts from three-point range while adding four rebounds and three steals.

Baskerville delivered an efficient performance with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.

Johnson added 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists, while Perkins provided a significant lift off the bench with 10 points, including eight during the second half.

Abrahm Driver chipped in seven points and four rebounds in just 10 minutes, while Demontay Kyle and Markel Freeman contributed six points apiece.

Shorter was led by Trevian Callaway’s 21 points, followed by Axel Holmquist with 17 and Justine De La Cruz with 15.

Defensive Pressure Makes the Difference

Despite being outrebounded 35-30 and allowing Shorter to score 48 points in the paint, the Hurricanes made up the difference with aggressive defense and timely perimeter shooting.

GSW recorded 15 steals and forced 19 turnovers, resulting in a commanding 31-10 advantage in points off turnovers. The Hurricanes also received 31 points from their bench compared to just eight for the Hawks.

After shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, Georgia Southwestern found its rhythm offensively after halftime, shooting 58.6 percent overall and 50 percent from three-point range.

The Hurricanes outscored Shorter 52-47 in the second half, finishing the night shooting 49.1 percent from the field.

Next Up

GSW travels to Charlotte, N.C., this weekend for a pair of games hosted by Johnson C. Smith University. The Hurricanes open with Claflin University on Friday at 6 p.m..