Final Score: Monmouth 81, Tennessee State 70

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Andrew Nicholas had 19 points and six assists to lead Monmouth past Tennessee State, 81-70, as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at GSU Sports Arena.

Dion Nesmith added 13 points while Marcus Ware and Jesse Steele netted 12 apiece for the Hawks (3-3), who have won two straight.

Kellen Thornton recorded game highs of 27 points and 16 rebounds for Tennessee State (1-5), which has dropped its last two.

Patrick Miller chipped in 15 points and Robert Covington scored 12 in defeat.

After Thornton connected on two shots from the foul line to give Tennessee State a 16-9 lead, Nicholas dropped in a 3-pointer to spark a 10-2 run the Hawks used to take their first lead of the game, 19-18, just past the midpoint of the first half.

The lead changed hands four times over the remainder of the first half, with the last coming when Nesmith's shot from the beyond the arc kicked off an 11-1 run by the Hawks, giving them a 38-31 advantage at the break.

Monmouth then held that lead throughout the entire second half as the Tigers never got closer than five points over the final 20 minutes.

Tennessee State pulled within five with just under 14 minutes left in the second half when Thornton's layup brought the Tigers within 46-41, but Monmouth responded with a 7-2 push to take a double-digit lead and pull away for good.