FLORENCE, Ala. – A furious, fourth quarter rally handed the West Alabama football team a 24-23 loss at No. 18 North Alabama on Saturday evening. The Lions (8-2, 5-2 Gulf South Conference) scored 21-unanswered points to drop UWA to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the GSC.

Deon Williams became the program's all-time leading passer in the setback. The Tuscaloosa, Ala. native threw for 232 yards and currently has 6,793 career passing yards. Gerald Worsham moved up the ranks in receptions with 163 career catches - second all-time. The Birmingham, Ala. product hauled in eight passes for 72 yards on the night.

The Tigers finished with 330 yards of total offense while the Lions totaled 553 yards in the outing.

UWA punted on its first possession but the Lions fumbled the ball on the return, setting up the Tigers first score of the contest. Williams found Worsham on an eight-yard pass to cap the two-play, 34-yard drive. Brock Sharp's PAT was blocked and the Red and White stood with a 6-0 lead.

After Bernard Sykes forced a fumble – giving UWA the ball on the UNA 26 yard line – the Tigers made short work driving 20 yards on two plays. Williams found Kendrick May from three yards out. The score was setup by a 32 yard pass to Randy Lowery. It marked the first time the Lions had trailed by more than 10 points all year.

Josh Montgomery gave the Lions their first points of the game as he connected on a 24-yard field goal at the 5:44 mark of the second quarter.

UNA turned the ball over for the fourth time in the first half when Brandon Walker intercepted a Lee Chapple pass in the end zone. The Tigers ran out the clock and took a 13-3 lead in at the half.

UWA moved its lead out to 16-3 on its first possession of the second half. Sharp capped the eight-play, 52 yard drive with a 22-yard field goal. The Red and White widened its lead on the following UNA possession as D'Eric Jackson took a ricocheted interception 54 yards for a score.

The Lions garnered their first touchdown of the game as Chapple found Jarmon Fortson for a 16-yard catch. The touchdown snapped a streak of seven straight, home quarters without a TD for the Purple and Gold. UNA capitalized on a Tiger fumble for its second TD of the night as the Lions covered 64 yards on three plays – capped by a 50-yard, TD pass to Tim Hawthorne. The score narrowed the lead to 23-17 with 10:14 remaining in the contest.

UNA tied the game on a 36 yard TD pass to Fortson from Chapple. The Montgomery PAT gave the Lions their first lead of the game at 24-23 with 6:59 remaining in the affair.

West Alabama returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 11 as UWA hosts Valdosta State in the GSC-TV Game of the Week. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.