LIVINGSTON, Ala. ------ Desmond DeRamus scored a career-high 24 points, but the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team was not able to overcome a double-digit halftime deficit, as it fell to West Alabama Saturday, 70-54.

NOTES
• The Warhawks slipped to 1-7 on the season.
• The Tigers improved to 4-1 overall.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• DeRamus converted 8-of-12 shots from the floor, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc to reach the career-high total. He added eight rebounds and three assists for the Warhawks. His previous career high was 17 points, established in three games last season.
• Jarett Croff finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.
• Darrion Taylor had just two points, but finished with four rebounds and a team-best five assists.
• Lafayette James-Core came off the bench and scored four points, pulled down three rebounds and blocked a shot.
• Jahmal Lane led the Tigers with 24 points.
• Jake Jobling also scored in double figures, finishing with 12 points.
• Sean Cranney recorded nine points, eight rebounds and six assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Consecutive treys by DeRamus and Romoane Eager gave the Warhawks a 6-2 lead at the 18:12 mark of the first half.
• A 10-0 run by the Tigers late in the second half broke the game open, making a tie game at 26-16 deficit for the Warhawks following a jumper by Lane with 4:59 remaining before halftime.
• A jumper by James-Core cut the margin to eight points, but the Tigers led 36-24 at the half.
• West Alabama opened the second half with a 10-2 run and extended its lead to 46-26 on a layup by Gavin Robinson with 14:51 to play.
• The Warhawks were able to pull within 14 points on a pair of occasions, including as late as 9:07 remaining, but could not get closer.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks finished 20-of-51 from the floor, including 7-of-25 from behind the arc. AUM converted 7-of-10 free throws.
• The Tiger converted 39 percent of their shots from the floor, hitting 7-of-19 shots from distance. West Alabama finished 17-of-24 from the charity stripe.
• AUM committed 15 turnovers, while forcing 13. The Tigers turned those miscues into 19 points, while the Warhawks managed just eight.
• West Alabama held a 38-34 advantage on the glass, including a 12-7 advantage on the offensive boards. The Tigers recorded 12 second-chance points and AUM tallied eight.
• The Tiger held a 33-10 advantage in points in the paint.
 
UP NEXT
AUM will return to action Thursday, Dec. 8, when it travels to Jackson, Tenn., to take on Union University at 7 p.m.