CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Forty second half points and 55 percent shooting from the field in the second lifted Lee University to a 66-64 win over West Alabama in Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball action at Paul Dana Walker Arena on Thursday.

Lee, who entered the game 10^th in the GSC standings, improved to 8-15 overall and 6-12 in conference play. West Alabama falls to 11-13 and 7-11 in eighth place in the GSC.

Keevin Tyus tallied 15 second half points, giving him 21 total to lead the Flames. He was 9-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 at the free-throw line. Levi Woods finished with 11 points, followed by Chase Cullen and Rantavious Gilbert with 10 each.

The Flames had hit 35 percent in the first half (10-of-28), but finished with a total of 45 percent after its second half performance.  

"The last two games have left us feeling like we're looking for way to lose these games," said UWA head coach Allen Sharpe. "Our defense has been really good for us this year, but it hurt us down the stretch tonight. Lee scored very well down the stretch, and we made some good plays to stay in it, but we never really got a big stop when we needed it."

UWA led by as 10 points with less than five minutes left in the first, but the Flames rallied late to knot the score at 26-26 going into halftime. Acie Vance came off the bench to tally 12 of his 16 total points for the Tigers in 13 minutes of the first half.

In the opening six minutes of the second half, the Flames continued to build on their momentum taking their largest lead of seven points. UWA battled back through 11 total lead changes in the second half, to tie the game for the eighth time at 58-58 with 1:52 left to play.

Combined, Lee hit 15-of-27 of its field goals in the half and sank eight of its 13 trips to the free-throw line (61 percent) to regain and maintain its final lead.

West Alabama led 37-35 reboundings, with Dakari Mayo posting seven boards. He went on to lead with defense with four of the Tigers six blocked shots.

Simeon Dennis tallied 11 second half points to finish with 14. He was 3-of-4 from the 3-point arc in the second half, ending 5-of-11 from the field. UWA dropped from 41 percent field goal shooting (11-of-27) in the first half to 36 percent (12-of-33) in the second.

The Tigers also led the turnover margin 11-9, with Dennis and Jahmal Lane each claiming two steals.

"These close games are frustrating. You would think we would get over the hump and figure out a way to win it, but I hope these games haven't snowballed into us finding a way to lose," Sharpe said. "We just have to stay at it. We need a guy or two making a big play to get us over the hump, and that might not mean making a big shot, but rather a big stop or rebound."

West Alabama men's hoops will wrap up a four game road stretch on Saturday to take on Shorter University. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. (C.S.T.) in Rome, Ga.