FRANKFORT, Ky. ----- Despite a game-high 23 points from Kaylan Withrow, the Auburn Montgomery women's basketball team dropped a 75-71 decision at Kentucky State Saturday.

NOTES
• AUM fell to 5-16 on the year.
• The Thorobreds improved to 8-10.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Withrow finished 8-of-16 from the field, hitting six 3-pointers, en route to her fourth 20-plus point total of the season.
• Nadia Stewart scored 19 points, adding a pair of rebounds and two assists, in the contest.
• Chandler Sutton came off the bench to score 10 points, grab six rebounds, dish out two assists and tally two steals.
• Tyra Caudle recorded seven points and seven rebounds.
• Danielle Gaines-Jordan came off the bench to score six points and match Caudle's team-high seven rebounds.
• Logan Powell led Kentucky State with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
• Aliyah Gipson finished with a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds.
• Brittani Rizzi also scored in double figures, finishing with 11 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Thorobreds scored the first four points of the game, but AUM answered with a 9-3 run and took its first lead of the game on a Withrow trey with 7:11 remaining. The Warhawks upped their advantage to a quarter-best five points on another 3-pointer by Withrow with 2:36 remaining. Kentucky State rallied and tied the score on a basket by Nashaye Sutton, but a free throw by Stewart with 57 seconds remaining gave AUM a 20-19 advantage after one quarter.
• The second quarter featured three ties, including as late at 5:16 left. Kentucky State followed with a 10-3 run and took a 36-29 lead with 2:06 remaining before halftime. The Warhawks scored the final six points of the quarter, capped by a Sutton trey at the buzzer, and trailed 36-35 at halftime.
• The Thorobreds opened the third quarter with a 16-5 run and took a 52-40 lead following a pair of free throws with 5:37 remaining. The Warhawks chipped away at the deficit, outscoring KSU 15-8 down the stretch, and trailed 60-55 entering the final quarter.
• The Warhawks cut the deficit to one point, 60-59, in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter following baskets by Gaines-Jordan and Caudle. However, the Thorobreds answered with an 8-1 run and upped their lead back to eight points with 6:19 remaining. Following a pair of free throws by Stewart, AUM trailed just 73-71 with nine seconds remaining. The Warhawks forced a turnover and had an attempt to tie the game, but a charge was called against Caudle, giving the ball back to the Thorobreds to preserve the victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks converted 22-of-50 shots, good for 44 percent. AUM hit 8-of-25 attempts from distance, but just 19-of-29 from the charity stripe.
• The Thorobreds finished 31-of-69 from the floor, including 5-of-22 from behind the arc. KSU hit only 8-of-16 free throw attempts.
• Kentucky State held a 42-32 edge in total rebounds, but a 20-9 advantage on the offensive end. The Thorobreds finished with 22 second-chance points, compared to just eight for the Warhawks.
• AUM committed 16 turnovers, which led to 23 KSU points. The Thorobreds had just 11 miscues, which the Warhawks turned into eight points.
• Kentucky State finished with twice as many points in the paint in the contest, outscoring the Warhawks 44-22.
 
QUOTING THE COACH
"We gave ourselves some chances to win today, so to come up short is disappointing," head coach Dan Davis said. "Seeing their faces in the locker room after the game is a sign they are continuing to fight. We left some points on the rim and at the free throw line today, but those are some things we can continue to improve at. Even in a loss, I am proud of the way this team is battling the adversity of injuries and playing on the road as much as we have. I really like coaching this team."
 
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 7, when they travel to Tuskegee University for a 5:30 p.m. contest.