Chowan University couldn’t hold on to a 10-point halftime lead and lost 33-31 to St. Augustine’s on Saturday in the Hawks’ season finale.

Chowan ended the season at 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the CIAA. St. Augustine’s finished 4-6 overall, 3-4 in the CIAA.

St. Augustine’s scored on its first possession of the game when Jabre Green caught a 10-yard toss from freshman quarterback Kris Brownlee. Chowan scored a defensive touchdown when tackle Kevin Cheek picked up a fumbled ball and rushed it in from one yard out. Cory Cline split the uprights to knot the game at 7-7 with just under nine minutes to play in the game.

Chowan struck again when C.J. Westler found Gerald Nixon for a 22-yard strike and a 14-7 lead. The Hawks opened the third quarter with Westler finding Eddie Coard to spread their lead to 20-7. Cline made good on the point after for a 21-7 lead. On the Falcons’ ensuing possession Walter Sanders scampered 44 yards to paydirt to cut Chowan’s lead to 21-14. Just before halftime Cline hit on a 23-yard field goal to give the Hawks a 24-14 lead heading into halftime.

The second half belonged to the Falcons as they scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 33-24 lead. Freshman tailback J.J. Spates opened up the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 53-yard run to paydirt. Cline’s PAT pulled Chowan within two points of the Falcons, but they couldn’t get in the end zone in the final minutes of the game.

For Chowan, Westler totaled 185 yards on 17 completions with two touchdowns. Nixon had seven catches for 75 yards and a score. Defensively Jomo Brown had a team-high 10 tackles. Greg Palmer had six tackles with two sacks, and a forced fumble.