MONTGOMERY, Ala. ----- Despite outscoring West Alabama by nine points in the second half, the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team could not overcome a slow start in its first game following the Holiday break, as it fell to the Tigers 73-68 Thursday at the AUM Gymnasium.

NOTES
• With the loss, the Warhawks fell to 4-10 overall on the year.
• The Tigers improved to 5-4 overall.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Desmond DeRamus led the Warhawks with 14 points, while adding seven points, four assists and four steals.
• Julius McCoy came off the bench to score 12 points, hitting 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
• Romoane Eager also scored in double figures, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
• Lafayette James-Core and Darrion Taylor added eight points for the Warhawks.
• Jahmal Lane led all players with 23 points and 12 rebounds for West Alabama.
• Gavin Robinson (14), Billy Ingram (14) and Johnny Stallworth (10) also scored in double figures.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Tigers opened the game with an 11-3 run, capped by a free throw by Toni Kumanovic with 14:13 remaining in the first half.
• The Warhawks fought back and pulled to within three points, 16-13, following a James-Core basket with 8:52 left in the half. However, the Tigers answered with 10 consecutive points, six by Lane and four by Ingram, to extend their lead to 26-13 with 4:25 to play.
• West Alabama closed the half by outscoring the Warhawks 9-8 and took a 35-21 halftime lead.
• Leading by as many as 16 in the first half, the Tigers maintained a 15 point advantage, 46-31, following a trey by Jake Jobling with 12:28 remaining.
• The deficit remained double-figures for the Warhawks, including as many as 14 points with 5:54 to play.
• McCoy and Taylor each hit 3-pointers to key a surge by AUM, before DeRamus scored four straight to pull the Warhawks within six points, 65-59, with 2:13 left.
• McCoy drained another trey with 41 seconds remaining, before Eager sank a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left to pull the Warhawks to 70-68.
• The Tigers converted 3-of-4 free throws in the final seconds to provide the final margin.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks converted just 31.8 percent of their shots from the floor, but hit 10-of-27 shots from distance. AUM also hit 16-of-23 free throw attempts.
• The Tigers finished 18-of-41 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from distance. West Alabama was also successful from the charity stripe, converting 33-of-40 attempts.
• The Warhawks forced 20 turnovers, which led to 15 points. AUM committed just 10 miscues.
• West Alabama held a 44-29 advantage in total rebounds, but were outrebounded 13-8 on the offensive glass. The Warhawks scored 11 second-chance points, compared to just four for the Tigers.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will return to action Saturday, Dec. 31, when they travel to Columbus State for a 2:30 p.m. tilt.