Box Score

ROME, Ga. – Shorter held off a second-half surge by West Alabama to secure a 56-53 women's Gulf South Conference victory over the Tigers at the Winthrop-King Centre Thursday night.
 
The win improves Shorter to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in GSC play. West Alabama dropped to 4-3 and 0-1.
 
Down by as many as 16 in the first half, UWA whittled the Shorter lead to 29-23 by halftime and then tied the score at 41-41 on a Jamie Gunter field goal with 10:42 to play.
 
“We didn't do a good job early on and got ourselves in a very big hole on the road,” UWA head coach Craig Roden said. “We didn't do a good job there and that's on me as the head coach.”
 
UWA took a 51-49 lead with 10:03 left to play on a runner in the paint by Anna Dill. The Lady Hawks built a 54-48 lead, but Brittany Weathers converted an old-fashioned three point paly and then hit a jumper with 3:32 left to shave the Shorter lead to 54-53.
 
Shorter held the Tigers scoreless over the final 3:32 to preserve the victory. Ieshia Alexander sealed the win with a backdoor layup with 20.2 seconds left. UWA got two looks on its final possession, but failed to convert.
 
“We had some opportunities, some good open looks after we tied it up, but just couldn't convert,” Roden said. “They guarded us well on the last possession and we probably should have gone ahead and taken the two and fouled instead of taking bad looks at a three pointer.”
 
 Lynette Harris scored 17 to lead Shorter scorers, followed by Kristin Nash with 13.
 
Weathers had 22 points for UWA to lead all scorers. She also collected 10 rebounds to record her third double-double. Gunter followed with 14 points and Tamya Thompson chipped in 13. Thompson was one rebound shy of a double-double.
 
The Tigers remain on the road in GSC play by visiting Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.