LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama men's basketball team defeated Mississippi College inside Pruitt Hall in Livingston 61-40 on Friday night.
It took most of the first half to get the respective offenses on their feet. The Choctaws held a slight 4-0 lead after five minutes of play as the Tigers missed their first nine shots. UWA scored its first points off a 3-pointer by CJ Melton with 14:51 left in the first half. Mississippi College would continue to build their lead late into the period, as the Choctaws led 14-7 with five and a half minutes remaining.
UWA responded with a 13-0 run to give the home team the 20-14 advantage with 1:17 to go. Mississippi College's Rashad Bolden, who entered Friday's contest averaging 23.2 points per game, hit a triple with three seconds to go in the half to cut the deficit to one possession.
The Tigers and the Choctaws struggled from the field in the first half, shooting a combined 13-of-54 from the field and totaling 37 points. West Alabama took a 20-17 lead into the locker room led by CJ Melton's nine points on 40% shooting.
West Alabama came out of the break swinging, scoring a quick four points out of the gate courtesy of a pair of layups from Jaylen Lemons and Terry Durham. The Tigers pulled away late in the second half as Kuran Garner, Thaddeus Williams, Terry Durham and Caleb McGill led the Tigers on a 9-0 run and improved the home team's lead to 19 at the under-8 media timeout. During this stretch, the Choctaws didn't score a basket for almost six minutes.
The Tigers outscored the Choctaws 41-23 in the final 20 minutes while shooting 16-of-25 from the field. Thaddeus Williams exploded in the second half, scoring 15 points converting an impressive six of his seven shots, the highest shooting percentage of any player on the team in one half this season.
Williams paced the Tigers in scoring with 17 points on 50% shooting, knocking down 7-of-14 shots. Kuran Garner posted a career-high 14 boards and added nine points, while Jaylen Lemons dropped 12 points.
Rashad Bolden led the Choctaws in scoring with 17, and was limited to 6-of-24 from the field, and added six dimes.
West Alabama moves to 8-2 overall with a 5-1 GSC record, while Mississippi College falls to 5-5 and 4-3. The Tigers will stay at home and take on the Statesmen of Delta State on Sunday inside Pruitt Hall. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
