LIVINGSTON, Ala. – A defensive charge that produced 15 turnovers and five steals, backed up by an offensive effort led by Jahmal Lane and Jake Jobling gave West Alabama a 70-54 collegiate men's basketball victory over Auburn Montgomery at Pruitt Hall on Saturday.
 
The Tigers (4-1) continue to add to the win column with their fourth consecutive victory, while the Warhawks fall to 1-7 on the season.
 
"This week we really emphasized the importance of playing smart in the paint," UWA head coach Allen Sharpe said. "On the other end of the court, our defense created stops and limited second chances."
 
"We're always talking about getting at least three stops in a row, and we saw that toward the end of the first half. Now, we just need to stay at it and work to make the defensive principles we preach into habit."
 
After trailing for the second time, the Tigers tied things up at 16 after Lane dispossessed an AUM shooter, allowing Sean Cranney to hit Gavin Robinson on a fast break for a slam dunk.
 
With two unproductive possessions from both sides, back-to-back threes from Cranney gave UWA their first lead of the game, moving ahead of the Warhawks 22-16 with 7:36 left in the first 20 minutes.
 
Grabbing 11 points off AUM turnovers, UWA continued with a 20-8 scoring run, highlighted by four treys from Jobling to close out the half with a 36-24 advantage.
 
The West Alabama defense continued to flex its muscles to begin the second half, forcing three takeaways to help build a 20-point advantage by the 14:04 mark.
 
AUM hit three-pointers on their next two possessions to close the gap to 16 before the Tigers and Warhwaks traded buckets over the next seven minutes.
 
Mateo Habazin gave UWA its biggest lead of the night, a 22-point margin, with a no-look layup to put the Tigers up 59-37 with 7:01 left in the game.
 
Malik Johnson shut down a sure AUM fast break opportunity with a stuff block as 2:39 flashed on the clock, culminating UWA's defensive presence as the Tigers put the Warhawks away 70-54.
 
UWA dominated AUM between the posts, outscoring the Warhawks 33-10 in the paint. The Tigers continued to build off of AUM turnovers in the second half, totaling 19 points off takeaways.
 
Lane led the Tigers' offensive production with a season-high 24 points, converting 7-of-13 from the field and hitting 90 percent from the line. Jobling followed with 12 points, all from beyond the arc. Cranney added nine points and six assists in the win, grabbing 2-of-3 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws.
 
Cranney led the the UWA defense with seven rebounds (eight total), while adding two steals. Toni Kumanovic and Robinson each tallied five defensive rebounds. Lane and Robinson combined for three steals on the night.
 
Desmond Deramus posted 24 points for the Warhawks, shooting 60 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line. Deramus also led AUM in defensive rebounds with seven, while Jarett Croff blocked four shots.
 
The Tigers will continue at home, opening up Gulf South Conference play against West Georgia on Dec. 12. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Pruitt Hall.