CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team erased a 12-point deficit with eight minutes remaining, but Shorter University was able to hold on for an 89-84 win on Saturday afternoon in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

The Choctaws (7-16, 6-15 GSC) and the Hawks (13-14, 8-13 GSC) went back and forth over the first 10 minutes, but an 11-0 run by MC put them ahead 25-16 with 9:04 to go in the half.

Shorter would take a 45-39 lead into the halftime break as the GSC's leading scorer, Phil Taylor, made three straight three-pointers over the final two minutes.

In the second half, the game would stay close, and the Choctaws would grab a 48-47 lead with 16:17 to go when senior Christian Robbins, who scored a career-high eight points in his first career start, knocked down a jumper.

MC trailed by three with just under 17 minutes remaining, but Trevor McDade was given back-to-back technical fouls and was ejected, giving the Choctaws four free throws and possession. Sophomore Antonio Johnson knocked down two of the free shots and Robbins' jumped gave MC the advantage.

The Hawks would push aside the foul calls and run out to their largest lead of the game, 74-62, with 8:00 remaining after a three-pointer by Alijah Bennett.

Senior Jonathan McGee would answer with a three-pointer that started a 16-6 run to cut the lead to 80-78 with 3:42 remaining when sophomore Stacey Mack knocked down a long ball.

After the Hawks hit 1-of-2 free throws on their next possession, Mack tied the game with an old-fashioned three-point play, and the score was 81-81 with 2:30 remaining.

Shorter was able to push the lead out to 86-81 with a minute remaining, but McGee came up big again with a three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to cut the score to 86-84.

On the next possession, the Choctaws forced a long three-pointer from Bennett, but the Hawks' leading scorer with 20 points knocked the shot down to clinch the victory.

Mack scored 21 points for the second straight game, tying his season high for the year. McGee finished with 17 points, while senior Johnny Rucker came off the bench to score 11.

Junior Byron McCall scored 10 points with eight rebounds, while senior Tristan Moore had a team-high nine assists.

The Hawks had six players score in double-figures with Taylor putting up 15 points and 13 assists.

The Choctaws will be back in action on Thursday night when they close out the season against Delta State in A.E. Wood Coliseum at 7:30 p.m.