MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Auburn Montgomery women's basketball team outscored the visiting University of West Alabama 35-26 in the second half, turning a double-digit deficit into a five-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but a basket by UWA's Sydney Bozeman with 0.3 seconds left in regulation gave the Tigers a 55-53 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
NOTES
• AUM falls to 8-12 on the season and 4-9 in Gulf South Conference action.
• West Alabama improves to 10-10 overall, 7-6 in GSC play
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Freshman guard Makaylla Bullard led both sides with a career-high 19 points while chipping in a pair of assists and steals.
• Sophomore forward Regan Croff contributed 11 points with a game-high four steals and four rebounds.
• For West Alabama, Sydney Bozeman scored 12 points while five-time GSC freshman of the week Taza Garrett-Hammett pulled down a game-best 16 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• West Alabama opened up the contest with a 6-0 run, with AUM getting on the scoreboard via a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Aaliyah Milord. Junior guard/forward Jemaiya Lee converted on a three-point play but the Warhawks midway through the frame, but trailed UWA 14-5 after the opening quarter.
• UWA used a 12-4 spree at the start of the second quarter to create a game-high 17-point separation at 26-9. The Warhawks responded with a 9-0 retort with Milord, redshirt sophomore center Bailee Wolfe and sophomore guard Alex Brown all scoring in the stretch to cut the deficit to single-digits, 26-18, but a triple for the Tigers before the intermission created a 29-18 halftime score.
• AUM continued chipping into the gap, getting a basket and pair of free throws from Bullard to make it 29-22. UWA ended the spree with a basket, with the two sides splitting the ensuing 10 points to keep the separation at nine, 36-27. AUM ended the frame on a 10-4 run, making it a one-possession contest at 40-37
• West Alabama began the final stanza with a pair of free throws, creating a five-point lead before a triple from Bullard and layup from Wolfe knotted up the score 42-all. UWA used two more free throws to retake the advantage, but a 6-0 spree for AUM with Croff, Bullard and junior guard/forward Evelina Avleeva all contributing gave the hosts a 48-44 edge. AUM created its largest lead of the contest off a triple from Avleeva, responding to a basket by UWA, to make it 51-46 only for a 5-0 retort by the visitors making it 51-all. The two sides exchanged baskets to keep the score tied before the last-second UWA basket gave the visitors the lead with under a second remaining.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks converted on 19-61 shots, going 5-19 from three-point territory and 10-14 from the free throw line.
• UWA went 19-52 from the field, 3-11 from beyond the arc and 14-18 from the free-throw line.
• The Warhawks dished out 11 assists while West Alabama recorded 14.
• UWA held a 43-36 advantage in total rebounds, but the Warhawks recorded more offensive board, 14-13.
• AUM committed 17 turnovers, resulting in eight Tigers' points. UWA committed 21 turnovers, leading to 17 points.
• AUM recorded 12 steals with three blocks while West Alabama stole the ball four times with three blocks.
 
UP NEXT
The women's basketball team hits the road for a contest at Mississippi College on Thursday, Feb. 1 in a 5:30 p.m. Gulf South Conference tilt.
 
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