CARROLLTON, Ga.- On a night that will be remembered as Shelton Williams-Dryden climbed into the record books, the West Georgia Wolves delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, knocking off the Lipscomb Bisons 84-77 inside The Coliseum. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and marked UWG's second consecutive home win.

"I'm really proud of our guys," Dave Moore said. "They beat a really talented basketball team in Lipscomb… I'm extremely proud of our guys and the seniors for playing well and helping us win this game."

Both teams came out firing, each shooting over 50 percent by the first media timeout. Malcolm Noel set the tone early with five quick points as the Wolves grabbed a 9-7 edge.

Out of the break, Shelton Williams-Dryden heated up. Off a feed from Noel, Shelton powered through contact for an and-one layup. Through the first 10 minutes, both offenses were nearly unstoppable, each hovering around 60 percent shooting from the floor.

Then the Wolves' bench changed the game. Josh Smith entered and immediately made his presence felt, pouring in seven points in five minutes on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting stretch. His spark fueled a 21-16 UWG lead at the second media timeout.

Smith wasn't done, he drilled a turnaround jumper to move to 4-for-4 on the night, while Xavier Shegog added an and-one layup off a dish from Kolten Griffin. The Wolves' defense began to shine, forcing five early turnovers and stretching the lead to 29-20 while shooting a blistering 65 percent from the field.

Lipscomb answered with a 6-0 run, but Matija Žužić halted the momentum with a layup for his first points of the night. The bench kept delivering as JaVar Daniel buried a three, and Shelton attacked with back-to-back floaters to keep UWG in control.

At halftime, the Wolves led 44-37. Smith was a perfect 5-for-5 for 11 points, while Shelton added 11 of his own. The duo accounted for half of UWG's first-half scoring. Despite Lipscomb shooting 53.6 percent in the opening 20 minutes, they trailed thanks to UWG's offensive rhythm.

UWG picked up right where it left off. Kolten Griffin scored on a layup on the opening possession, and Kenneth Chime followed with a ferocious slam that forced Lipscomb to burn an early timeout.

Out of that timeout, Chime rejected back-to-back shots, and Griffin capped the defensive possession with a third block in less than 10 seconds. The Wolves held the Bisons scoreless for the first three minutes of the half, setting the tone on the defensive end. 

Coach Moore credited that defensive effort as the difference stating, "The key to winning the game was holding Lipscomb to shooting five for 24 from the three-point line, when they average 11 threes per game at a very good percentage. We took that aspect of their game away from them."

As Lipscomb tried to claw back, Shelton and Smith continued their dominance. Smith remained perfect through most of the night, finishing with 17 points and four assists. Shelton elevated his performance even further, shooting 80 percent from the field and taking complete control of the game.

With 8:30 to play, Griffin drilled a step-back triple to give UWG a 10-point lead. Moments later, Shelton delivered the historic bucket, a put-back layup that officially placed him among the top 10 scorers in West Georgia history.

"Shelton played like an all-league player. We've got a first-team player that is capable of giving us 20 points every night…For Shelton to be on the top-ten all-time scoring list in just two seasons at West Georgia shows you what kind of player he is. He gives us the opportunity to win every night."

With five minutes left, the Wolves led 71-60. But Lipscomb made one final surge, highlighted by six straight points from Grant Asman.

Griffin responded with his second triple of the night to stretch the lead back to double digits at 78-67 with under four minutes remaining.

Even as the Bisons shot nearly 70 percent in the final stretch, UWG refused to crumble under pressure. Griffin sealed the game with a clutch steal in the final minute, and Noel iced the game at the free-throw line with two clutch makes, putting UWG ahead 84-77 at the final buzzer. 

The Wolves will close the regular season to host North Alabama Lions at 2 p.m. inside The Coliseum for Senior Day. UWG will honor Malcolm Noel, Matija Žužić, and Shelton Williams-Dryden for one last ride in the Coliseum. 

Notable Numbers 
Shelton Williams-Dryden- 24 points, 7 rebounds
Josh Smith- 17 points, 4 assists
Kolten Griffin- 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
JaVar Daniel- 11 points, 3 rebounds