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Dalton State College Athletics

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Men's Basketball-Varun Danak
68
Winner Dalton State (GA) DALTON S 5-0, 1-0
67
Thomas THOMAS 2-5, 0-2
Winner
Dalton State (GA) DALTON S
5-0, 1-0
68
Final
67
Thomas THOMAS
2-5, 0-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Dalton State (GA) DALTON S 40 28 68
Thomas THOMAS 28 39 67

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Erik Simpson, Sports Information Director

#10 Dalton State Survives Late Surge To Edge Thomas, 68–67


THOMASVILLE, Ga. – No. 10-ranked Dalton State remained unbeaten after a nail-biting 68–67 victory over Thomas (Ga.) to open SSAC play on Thursday night at TU Gymnasium. Despite a dominant first half, Dalton State had to withstand a furious second-half rally from the Night Hawks to secure their fifth straight win and first conference triumph.
 
RECAP
FIRST HALF
Dalton State came out firing, shooting 47.1% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range in the opening period. The Roadrunners built a commanding lead behind balanced scoring and aggressive rebounding, taking a 40–28 advantage into halftime.
  • Kota Benson sparked the offense with three triples for 9 points.
  • Qualen Pettus added 10 points and attacked the rim early.
  • Varun Danak controlled the paint with 6 points and 6 boards.
    Dalton State dominated the glass (20–16) and converted second-chance opportunities, while Thomas struggled offensively, shooting just 28.6% in the half.
SECOND HALF
The Night Hawks flipped the script after the break, outscoring Dalton State 39–28 and shooting 40.6% from the floor. Thomas clawed back behind Jonathan Goldson (9 points) and Armani Thomas (9 points), trimming a 16-point deficit to a single possession in the final minute.

Dalton State's offense cooled dramatically, hitting only 29.2% from the field and going 0-for-9 from deep in the second half. Clutch free throws from Varun Danak with 22 seconds left pushed the Roadrunners ahead for good, while a last-second layup attempt by Thomas fell short.
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS
  • Final Score: #10 Dalton State (Ga.) 68, Thomas (Ga.) 67
  • Dalton State
  • Thomas
    • Armani Thomas: 12 pts
    • Jonathan Goldson: 12 pts
    • Michael Smith: 10 pts, 10 reb
  • Team Stats
    • FG%: DS 39.7 | TU 35.0
    • 3PT%: DS 26.1 | TU 27.3
    • FT%: DS 55.2 | TU 73.1
    • Rebounds: DS 44 | TU 42
    • Points in Paint: DS 34 | TU 22
    • Bench Points: DS 19 | TU 26
UP NEXT
#10 Dalton State continues their conference opening road trip with a visit to Tifton to take on ABAC (Ga.) on Saturday, November 15. Tip-Off from Gressette Gym is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
 
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FIND NEWS AND FOLLOW THE BIRDS: News and updates from Dalton State's men's basketball team is posted on dsroadrunners.com and on X (@DStateBBall), Facebook (@DStateBasketball) and Instagram (dstatebball). Be sure to follow to keep pace with the Birds!
 
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