Shorter University took advantage of a 28-3 first-half run that turned a 5-point advantage into a 30-point lead and cruised to an 88-44 victory over Berry College in a men's basketball game at Shorter's Winthrop-King Centre Monday.

Berry's Cody Marsh scored to pull the Vikings to within five points at 13-8 with 12:35 remaining in the first half, but Shorter reeled off the next 10 points to jumpstart the 28-3 run that lasted just under 10 minutes. 

The Vikings' Nasser Almulla finally put an end to six-and-a-half minute scoring drought with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Shorter (19-0), the nation's No. 1 ranked NAIA team, took a 45-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Berry (0-17) cut its deficit to 20 points when Lake Graham banked in a 3-point shot that made the score 48-28 with 16:32 remaining in the game, but Shorter would score 20 of the next 23 points to remove any doubt of the outcome.

Almulla led Berry with 15 points. He also tied Whalen for team high honors with five rebounds.

Shorter's Walter Hill scored a game high 21 points to lead four Hawks in double figures.  C.J. Davis scored 14 points, Dante Harvey added 12 and Tyler Burse chipped in 11.

Hill also hauled in a game high 10 boards.

Berry is scheduled to return to action this Saturday, when it hosts Rust College at the Cage Center at 4 p.m.

- BerryVikings.com -