WINCHESTER, Va. - The men's basketball team gave Shenandoah University its second Dixie Conference men/women doubleheader sweep in the last two home dates with an 83-56 blowout victory over Averett University Saturday afternoon. 

Shenandoah (10-9, 3-6) earned its fourth straight victory over the Cougars (2-17, 1-8) in the past two seasons by putting them away with a 12-0 run from the 7:32 to 4:53 marks of the first period. 

A pair of Tyson Thompson (Keysville, Va./Randolph-Henry) three-pointers sandwiched dunks from Ervin Phillips (Amissville, Va./Rappahannock) and Michael Atkins (Winchester, Va./Sherando) during the run, and effectively ended the contest.

SU shot 18 for 37 (48.6 percent) in the first half, but more importantly held a 27-13 rebounding edge on AU. The Cougars scored zero second chance points before the break and saw their hosts outrebound them 16-10 on the Averett offensive end.

The second half brought more of the same; once the Hornets stretched the lead to more than 20 points on an Atkins layup with 14:52 remaining, Coach Kirk Chandler's club could get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.

Thompson led four players in double figures with 16 points while junior Chad Brashears (Hagerstown, Md./St. Maria Goretti) had 14 and Halston Camp (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) 11 with 12 boards. Phillips had a career high 11, nine of which came in the first half.

A complete box score and play by play can be found at http://www.su.edu/athletics/mb/200203/020803.htm

Shenandoah hosts Ferrum College Tuesday evening in the Hornets final midweek game.