MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Auburn University at Montgomery women's basketball team dropped their season-opening contest to Shorter 71-64 on Saturday afternoon from the AUM Gymnasium, snapping a five-game winning streak against the Lady Hawks.

Newcomers Derienne Black and Jamya Tyus were among the Orange & Black standouts in their first game at AUM. Black recorded 17 points while grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, while Tyus led both teams with 18 points.

It was business as usual for Catlin Carter, who was able to post an 18-point performance against the Lady Hawks. The bulk of her damage was dealt at the foul line, with 11 of her 18 points coming from the charity stripe.

Both teams opened up the game cold from the floor as the Warhawks and the Lady Hawks were silent through the first three minutes of the game. After a long drought, Tyus was able to score the game's first points to start her impressive night.

The Warhawks were able to grab a one-point lead after the first period of action, thanks to Black's five points and four rebounds.

A back-and-forth second quarter awaited both teams after the tightly contested first frame. Tyus and Black combined to score 16 of the Warhawks' 18 points in the second quarter. However, the Lady Hawks matched the scoring put on by the newcomers and took a 35-33 lead into the halftime break.

AUM and Shorter were able to find their groove offensively after the break. A combined 45 points were scored in the third quarter. The Warhawks, staring down an eight-point deficit in the dying moments of the third, looked to Alexia Wallace with one second remaining in the quarter to hit a buzzer-beating half-court shot to bring AUM within five heading into the final frame.

Carter, Tyus and Black were all over 15 points each halfway through the fourth quarter, but the Warhawks were still trailing the Lady Hawks by five points. This was due in large part to Shorter's Julia Peroni and Alicyn McCollum, who led the way with 18 and 17 points, respectively.

A Tyus layup with 1:21 remaining in the fourth brought the Warhawks to within five. However, missed layups and fouls allowed Shorter to put the game away and left Montgomery with a 71-64 victory over AUM.

The women's basketball team will return to action on Tuesday, December 15, for their first road game against West Georgia. The game from Carrollton, Ga., is slated to begin at 5 p.m.

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