MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The West Alabama women's basketball team opened 2025 with a 76-68 win over Christian Brothers on Thursday evening in Memphis, Tennessee, after masterclass play from Kendall Lacoste.

West Alabama (1-10, 1-6 GSC) and Christian Brothers (0-11, 0-6 GSC) battled through a back-and-forth contest, but the Tigers surged in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bucs 24-15 to secure their first victory of the season, and the first career victory for Head Coach Tiffany Morton. The Tigers took advantage of second-chance opportunities, outscoring CBU 20-2 in that category, and turned 15 turnovers into 15 points.

"I am so unbelievably proud of how hard we fought for 40 minutes," said Morton. "We never hung our heads and continued to battle! Through adversity, we found a way to come out with a win."

Lacoste led the Tigers with a career-high 23 points, five rebounds, and three assists, shooting 5-of-13 from beyond the arc. Callie Cowan registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, adding two steals and two assists. Sydney Schwallie chipped in a career-high 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals, providing consistent scoring.

The Bucs were led by Jada Hood and Tieriney Echols Hood finished with a team-high 20 points,eight assists, and five rebounds, including six three-pointers while Echols added 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. 

West Alabama shot 41.5% from the field and connected on 37.9% of their three-point attempts. Christian Brothers finished with a slightly higher field goal percentage (43.1%) but struggled in the fourth quarter, shooting just 26.3% from the field.



The Tigers return to action on Saturday, January 4, traveling to Jackson, Tennessee, for a Gulf South Conference matchup against Union. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.