Rome, Ga. - Nathan Thomas poured in a game-high 24 points and No. 3-seed Auburn University-Montgomery withstood a late rally from Shorter College en route to a 62-59 triumph over the sixth-seeded Hawks in the quarterfinals of the Southern States Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championships at The Forum in Rome, Ga.

Auburn-Montgomery improves to 14-12 overall and advances to tomorrow's 4 p.m. semifinal against the winner of No. 2-seed Southern Polytechnic State University and No. 7-seed Southern Wesleyan University.

The Hawks conclude their season with a 17-13 overall mark.

The Senators led by as much as seven in the second half with just over three minutes remaining, but Shorter, which played for all but 12 minutes without leading scorer and rebounder and SSAC Newcomer of the Year, Marqise Wright, used two quick field goals from Montagious Brown and a free throw from Wright to pull within 59-57 with 56 seconds to play.

Johnny Williams connected on two foul shots for the Senators and Shorter's Jerrenda Wheeler answered with a layup in transition to again cut the AUM lead to two, 61-59, this time with just 16 ticks left.

Thomas, the SSAC Defensive Player of the Year who also added eight rebounds and two steals, made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe with 3.4 seconds remaining and Wright's last-second heave from midcourt caromed off the glass as Auburn-Montgomery escaped into the semis.

Auburn-Montgomery was the beneficiary of some early foul trouble for Wright, who had averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds against the Senators in the teams' two meetings during the regular season.

Wright picked up his second foul just four minutes into the first half and after reentering later in the opening frame, was charged with his third personal. The 6-6 forward who led the SSAC with 19 double-doubles during the regular season and averaged 15.1 points and 11.8 boards coming in, took just five shots and finished with seven points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.

Still, the Hawks got plenty of support from Wheeler, Brown and senior Ziyadah Carter. Wheeler turned in 15 points and 10 assists for his third double-double of the year, Brown also notched a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds and Carter stepped up with 10 points and six rebounds.

AUM's trio of Thomas, Williams and swingman LaNorris Smith proved too much in the end.

AUM led 27-25 at the half as each team tried desperately to find an offensive rhythm, but Thomas, Williams and Smith scored all of the Senators' points during a 12-6 run that turned a one-point AUM lead with 7:30 remaining into a more comfortable, 59-52 advantage at the 3:26 mark.