ROME, Ga. | The 20th-ranked University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers lost for the first time in conference play Thursday night, falling SS-SS to host Shorter. The Chargers slip to 9-2 (4-1 Gulf South Conference), while Shorter improves to 8-3 (3-2 GSC).
 
Leading the Chargers in the contest was Seab Webster who scored 20, while Preston Herring also had a strong night with 19 points and eight rebounds. Both Greg Gardner and Ronnie Mack scored nine on the night, while Gardner added five assists and Mack picked up five boards.
 
Dedric Ware led the Hawks, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the first half to lead a group of four players who scored in double figures.
 
Both teams were strong in the opening 20 minutes, with the Chargers shooting 55.2 percent comparted to 54.3 percent, but an 11-2 advantage in second-chance points for the host Hawks produced a 44-39 advantage at the half.
 
The Hawks led by as many as 12 points in the first period, but Webster's 16 points in the half allowed the Chargers to narrow the gap to just five by the break.
 
UAH then hung with the hosts through the opening minutes of the second half, trailing by just six at 49-43 with 16:49 left, but Shorter closed the contest by outscoring the visitors 36-25 to lead by as many as 20 points en route to claiming the 15-point victory.
 
Shorter finished the game shooting 55.4 percent, while UAH shot only 40.7 percent in the second half to finish the game at 48.2 percent. The Hawks also won the battle on the glass by a 34-30 margin.
 
The Chargers will return to the hardwood on Saturday when a visit to Lee in Cleveland, Tennessee, is scheduled. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CST.