LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Four Shorter Hawks totaled double-digit scoring marks and limited the Tigers on just one to down West Alabama 65-53 in Gulf South Conference women's college basketball action Saturday at Pruitt Hall.
The loss was the fourth consecutive for West Alabama, who dropped to 10-13 overall and 7-12 in the GSC. Shorter improved to 11-14 and 7-12.
Ieshia Alexander led the Hawks with 19 points; 14 in the second half. She shot 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Shorter finished 24-of-47 from the field and 6-of-17 from the arc, while leading UWA 26-16 inside the paint. The Tigers struggled to hit 9-of-36 in the first half, but improved to 11-of-27 in the second.
"We dug ourselves in hole getting in foul trouble early and we do not have the depth right now to compensate for that," UWA head coach
Rusty Cram said.
"We just have to find some scorers. Right now we can't score. We only had one in double figures tonight. If you can't score at this time of the year, then you're not going to win many ball games. We don't have strong post play right now, and they were able to take away our one good post player and force us to shoot from the perimeter."
Madison Rice followed Alexander with 11 points, while Shaundricka Mann and Grace Rogers each tallied 10.
Britney McCloud was the lone Tiger to break double-digits scoring with 15 points. She improved form hitting her only field goal attempt in the first half, to sinking 5-of-9 with 14 points in the second.
"This is the third or fourth game in a row that teams have played us the same way. We just don't seem to make adjustments where we have to. We go through them over and over in practice but when we get out there we just don't stay focused at the right times. We're stopping ourselves, there's no question there."
West Alabama outrebounded Shorter 41-34 and the Tigers scored 10 points off second chances. The Hawks converted 11-of-26 from the free throw line, while UWA ended 8-of-10.
West Alabama has three road games left in its regular season, beginning at Valdosta State on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. (C.S.T.).
