MONTGOMERY, Ala. – With just 12 seconds remaining on the clock, Auburn Montgomery's sophomore guard Marquez Brooks drove down the lane for a pull-up jump shot that put his team up for the final time, as the University of West Alabama men's basketball team fell to AUM, 65-64, Monday evening.
 
In a game that featured two squads searching for wins, UWA fell to 4-12 on the season, while the Warhawks improved their record to 4-12 as well.
 
The final go-ahead shot by Brooks was set up by a back-and-forth second half. After the Tigers scored the first four points in the period, coach Mike Newell's squad built up an early seven-point lead with still 18 minutes remaining in the game.
 
The Warhawks then made the most of their time, battling to take their first lead of the second half as senior forward Alex Hergott made a layup to put his team up 39-38 with 14:33 to go. Auburn Montgomery led by as many as eight down the stretch, before the Tigers tied the game at 54-54 with 6:09 remaining.
 
As the teams battled on the offensive and defensive ends, the game then switched hands five more times in the final five minutes until Brooks' basket with 12 seconds to go that put the final at 65-64 in favor of AUM.
 
In the first half, UWA was able to maintain a slim lead for most of the opening 20 minutes. In fact, AUM led only once during the period, taking a 6-5 advantage following a layup by Stephen Jordan.
 
From that point on, the Tigers went on impressive 17-0 run, holding the Warhawks scoreless until the 8:52 mark of the half. AUM answered the Red and White, however, to get within three of the Tigers in a 30-27 halftime score.
 
For the game, West Alabama was led by junior forward Ryan Fitch who scored a team-high 15 points to go along with an 8-of-13 mark at the free-throw line. UWA had three additional players score in double figures with 13 each from Steven Samuels and Jared Woolfolk and a 12-point performance from Alquan Mendenhall.
 
West Alabama now returns to conference action, taking on Gulf South Conference foe Valdosta State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday inside UWA's Pruitt Hall.