LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Despite a combined 42 points from Alquan Mendenhall and Drew Faile, the University of West Alabama men's basketball team dropped its third straight contest on Thursday evening – falling 85-77 to Delta State. The Tigers fall to 3-4 on the season while DSU improves to 3-4.

The duo of Mendenhall and Faile were joined in double figures by Marino Thompson and Ryan Fitch. Thompson came off the bench with 13 points while Fitch supplied 10 points. Fitch also proved to be the catalyst on the glass as he pulled down 14 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

After trailing by as many as 15 points early in the second half, a Thompson jumper - with less than seven minutes to play - cut the DSU deficit down to 65-61. The Statesmen answered with a 13-7 to push the margin back out to 10 points with 1:31 remaining in the contest. UWA cut the DSU lead to five points on three occasions – the last coming with 29 seconds left – but the Tigers couldn't draw any closer. The Green and White's Arian Maliqi hit three of his final four free throws to ice the contest for the Statesmen. Maliqi finished the night with 12 points.

DSU was led by Mississippi State transfer Phil Turner's 26 points. Turner shot 66.-7 percent from behind the arc in the effort. Ken Mitchell added 19 points for the Statesmen while Jamarkus Holt tallied 15 points along with 14 rebounds.

UWA jumped in front early in the contest – sprinting out to 9-2 lead – behind hot perimeter shooting from Faile and Korielle Beavers. Faile, a sophomore guard, connected on his first two attempts of the night with a Beavers trey sandwiched in between. DSU claimed its first lead of the game at the 15 minute mark of the first half. The Tigers forced a trio of ties over the next five minutes, but couldn't pull ahead of the Statesmen. DSU expanded its lead to 42-33 over the next six minutes before taking a 48-35 advantage into the locker room.

Delta State concluded the night shooting 63.5 percent from the floor – 50 percent from behind the arc – while West Alabama shot just under 40 percent on the night.

West Alabama returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 11 as UWA travels to Christian Brothers. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. The outing at CBU begins a three game, road swing for the Tigers.