AMERICUS - With the game tied, 59-59, it came down to the final 10 minutes in the Storm Dome on Monday evening and Middle Georgia State University won the battle, handing Georgia Southwestern a 78-71 loss in non-conference men's basketball action.

The Hurricanes fell to 1-3 this season, while Middle Georgia snapped a two-game losing skid and improved to 4-3.

GSW opened the night with back-to-back buckets to take what would prove to be its largest lead of the evening, 4-0. Joe Howard put Middle Georgia ahead for the first time, 9-8, with a 3-pointer at the 14:37 mark. GSW trailed by seven points at the break, 41-34.

A 9-0 run to open the second half put GSW back on top, 43-41. The two sides flip-flopped the lead for the next six minutes and a 3-pointer from Tevin Wise with 11:27 to play gave GSW its last lead of the game, 57-56. Middle Georgia answered with a 10-2 run and held off the Hurricanes until the final horn.   

In a game that saw seven ties and 11 lead changes, neither side was able to open a double-digit lead and most stat categories were close to even. Rebounds favored Middle Georgia, 43-41. Assists were even, 15-15. GSW committed one more turnover, 17-16. The Hurricanes made one more field goal, 30-29. The glaring difference was at the charity stripe where the Knights made 11 more than GSW.

The Hurricanes were limited to six attempts from the line, but rifled 26 shots from beyond the arc. 

Cameron Dozier hit 9 of 15 shots en route to a team-best 21 points. Dozier grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Tyrone Wooten broke through for his first double-double as a member of the Hurricanes. Wooten was a rebound shy of a double-double in the first two games of the season, but finished with 10 rebounds and 16 points on Monday. Corbyn Jackson added 12 points.

Kieston Stanfield came off the bench to lead Middle Georgia with 28 points behind 9 of 12 shooting. Stanfield hit all nine of his free throw attempts and made it a double-double by pulling down 10 boards. Roshaun Milline was the only other Knight to hit double figures in scoring as he chipped in 11.

The Hurricanes return to action after the Thanksgiving holiday with a trip to Auburn Montgomery on Nov. 29.