ST. AUGUSTINE – Chris Williams recorded a double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds, which tied a career high, to help lead Flagler College to a season opening 87-74 win over Shorter University in a non-conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at Flagler Gymnasium.

Flagler won its first lid-lifter since trouncing Clearwater Christian College 99-51 on Nov. 21, 2014. Shorter, a member of the Gulf South Conference, fell to 0-3.

Williams was hot from the field, making 8-of-10, and then sank all six free throws. He also had five steals. Damerit Brown, a transfer from Shorter, added 22 points, with the help of making all nine free throws. Vaughn McCall contributed 13 points while Cortlin Davis chipped in with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Jeffercy Jean tacked on 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Saints were nearly perfect from the free throw line, making 19-of-20, which was the highest shooting percentage (95.0) on record for a game. Flagler dominated the boards, out-rebounding Shorter 48-21. The Saints grabbed 14 boards on the offensive end and turned those into 17 points.

Amonte Potter led the Hawks with 21 points while Josh Burnett added 17 more. Joe Russell tallied 16 points and had four steals while TayVaughn Major chipped in with 11 points.

Shorter forced 29 Flagler turnovers and turned those into 31 points.

The Saints used a 14-0 run midway through the first half to erase an 18-13 deficit and take a 27-18 lead. Williams had a pair of tip-ins and Ben Bobbitt and Brown hit consecutive 3-points.

Flagler built up a 14-point lead just before settling on a 41-29 lead at the half.

The lead swelled to as many as 17 points early in the second half, but the Hawks were able to rally and get as close as six points (71-65) with just under four minutes left to go. The Saints closed the game on a 16-9 run.

Flagler will head to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend and will take on Clark Atlanta University on Friday (Nov. 17) at 8 p.m. The Saints won last year's game, 66-59, in overtime.

NOTE: This was Chad Warner's first game as head coach at Flagler. He coached at Shorter for eight seasons (2007-15) where he won the most games in the program's history (156). The attendance at tonight's game (741) was the largest crowd at Flagler Gym since Feb. 24, 2010 against Francis Marion University (1,137).