BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Senior Larry Thomas posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds to help the Birmingham-Southern men's basketball team to an 86-74 victory against in-state rival Huntingdon, Thursday evening in Bill Battle Coliseum.

The Panthers move to 3-0, while the Hawks drop to 0-2.

BSC led for almost the entire first half, going up by as much as 13, twice before taking a 45-34 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Hawks slowly chipped away at BSC's lead in the second half, cutting it to seven, 57-50, with 13:36 left, and then one, twice, at the eight- and seven-minute marks. With the Panthers leading 67-66 with 7:03 left, BSC proceeded to score nine straight points to pull ahead 76-66 with 4:43 remaining, sparking a 19-8 run to close out the game.

Thomas shot 8-13 from the field, including 5-8 from beyond the arc, to lead all players with 25 points, and also led all players with 10 boards, all on the defensive side of the court, and three steals. Senior forward Alex Avery was also impressive, scoring 22 points on 8-14 shooting and leading the team with five assists.

Alex Layson led three Huntingdon players in double figures with 15 points, and charlie Johnson led the Hawks with eight rebounds.

The Panthers are at home again this Saturday, hosting Covenant College at 7 p.m.