DAYTONA, Fla. – In the championship game of the 2017 Bahama House Shootout hosted by Embry-Riddle on Saturday afternoon, the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team dropped a 91-77 decision to Gulf South Conference foe West Alabama in non-conference action, as senior forward Lafayette James-Core scored a team-high 27 points in the setback.
 
NOTES
• AUM falls to 3-3 on the season, while UWA improves to 5-2.
• Sophomore guard Michael Bryant and James-Core were named to the All-Tournament Team.
• The Warhawks had won three in a row before today's setback.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• James-Core connected on 10-15 field goals attempted, including 7-9 from behind the 3-point arc.
• Freshman forward Antoine Pitts scored a career-high 12 points with sophomore guard Darrion Taylor adding 12 to the Warhawks' total as well.
• Junior guard Desmond DeRamus recorded eight assists with Bryant recording a team-high eight rebounds.
• UWA's Charles Eaton tallied 27 points as well to lead the Tigers, with teammate Gavin Robinson scoring 25.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
• The two teams battled to a 12-12 tie with 15:19 to go in the first, when James-Core hit a trey to even the score.
• DeRamus hit a 3-pointer with 8:08 to play to tie the game at 27-27, as the two teams traded the lead back and forth down the stretch. UWA's Dominque Alexander hit a free throw with :38 seconds remaining to take a 41-40 lead into halftime.
• The Warhawks took an early lead in the second on a Kameron Hornbuckle jumper that put AUM up 42-41. James-Core would put the Warhawks up 48-43 with 18:07 to go, but UWA would battle back and tie the game at 48-48 on a layup by Robinson with 17:13 on the clock.
• Once again the two teams would battle to another tie, as James-Core hit a jumper in the paint to even the score at 57-58 with 12:41 to play.
• The Tigers would then go on a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to go up 73-61 with 6:38 on the clock.
• UWA would hold the Warhawks at arm's length the rest of the way before eventually earning the 14-point victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
• AUM's bench outscored UWA's 20-7.
• UWA outscored AUM 40-22 in the paint.
• The game featured 10 ties scores and nine lead changes.
 
UP NEXT
AUM will take on GSC foe Lee University next Thursday, Nov. 30, in the conference opener for both schools. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. on the campus of the Flames.
 
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