CARROLLTON, Ga. -- The University of West Alabama men's basketball team staved off Gulf South Conference Tournament elimination with an 81-61 thrashing of West Georgia in a pivotal GSC East duel at UWG's Coliseum on Saturday.

The Tigers improved to 13-13 overall and 3-6 in GSC play.  UWG fell to 12-12, 3-5 in conference play.  UWA will close out the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27 against UAH in Livingston.  The Wolves still have games with UAH and GSC East leader Valdosta State.

UWA warmed up near the midway point of the opening half, taking its first lead at 14-12 with 11:23 left in the period.  The Tigers put together a 20-12 scoring run over the next eight minutes to extend their lead out to double figures at 34-24 at the 3:28 mark.  The Wolves would hit just two more baskets the rest of the half while UWA pushed the lead out to a 17-point, 46-29 halftime lead.  The Tigers drained 58 percent from the field while mixing up defenses against the Wolves as they hit just 11 baskets in the half.

UWG had no answer for senior Jason Swanson as he posted a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds.  The Troy, Ala.-native registered 14 of his final 31 in the opening half.  Swanson even drilled his sixth three-pointer of season in the second half.  Swanson, who played the entire 40 minutes, led four Tigers who registered double-digit scoring totals.  Brandon Hampton and Trevell Coleman came off the bench to combine for 27 points.  Hampton posted a season-best 17 points while Coleman added ten points and a team-high six assists.  Sophomore Alquan Mendenhall was credited with 13 points, nine from beyond the three-point arc.

The Tigers extended the lead out to 20-plus points early in the second half and did not let the Wolves trim the deficit.  The Wolves got within 12 points at 66-54 with 6:13 left in the contest after Svilar Vojin knocked down a trey.  UWA's largest lead came with 1:03 left in the affair, 79-56.

Deion Sims paced UWG with 17 points off the bench.  Vojin pitched in 12 in the setback.