LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Shardarrion Allen had a game-high 13 points and Kortrijk Miles scored 12 points with 13 rebounds for a 63-51 victory over Oakwood University Tuesday evening.
In the season home opener, Allen shot 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 at the free-throw line to lead the Tigers in scoring. The Bolton, Miss. native also had three rebounds and one steal in the effort.
Miles, this week's GSC Player of the Week, recorded his first double-double of the season, shooting 4-for-8 from the floor and added four at the free-throw line. He also added two assists and three steals to round out his contributions on the night.
Kavan Hill also had a good night on the court. The junior guard from Murfreesboro, Tenn., pulled down three offensive and seven defensive rebounds for 10 boards total. He also added 9 points to the scoring effort with one steal and two assists.
The Tigers struggled defensively but allowed their offense to win the game against the Ambassadors. UWA made 18 of 58 (31.0%) shots from the floor, including 5 of 21 (23.8%) in 3-point range, and at the line, West Alabama went 22-for-34 (64.7%).
Oakwood shot 15-for-53 (28.3%) from the field, including 2-for-6 (12.5%) in field goal range, and at the free-throw line, the Ambassadors landed 19 shots on 29 (65.5%) attempts.
UWA came out hot in the first half of the game, outscoring the Ambassadors 32-13 to have a 19-point lead going into the break.
In the second half, the Tigers struggled with turnovers and fouls, allowing Oakwood to score 14 points at the free-throw line on 20 attempts.
Capitalizing on Tiger miscues and showing major grit, the Ambassadors put up 38 points in the last period while holding UWA to 31.
Despite the final surge of scoring to close out the game, it was not enough to stage an Oakwood comeback, and the Tigers took to win to improve to 2-1 on the season.
West Alabama will continue its four-game home swing, hosting Southeastern Baptist College Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Pruitt Hall Gymnasium.
To stay connected with the UWA Men's basketball team, follow @UWA_basketball on Twitter. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
