HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The No. 8 seeded University of West Alabama women's basketball team saw its season come to a close Monday evening with an 80-61 loss to No. 1 seeded Alabama Huntsville in the opening round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament at SportsMED Arena in Spragins Hall.
The Tigers finish the year 13-13 overall and 11-11 in GSC play, while the Chargers improve to 27-4 overall and 21-1 in conference action.
Alabama Huntsville wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game on a flurry from beyond the arc. The Chargers shot 72.7 percent from the field and 6-of-8 from three-point range in the first quarter, building a 26-11 advantage after the opening 10 minutes. West Alabama managed just one lead change early in the contest and was unable to recover from UAH's fast start.
The Tigers battled in the second quarter, matching the Chargers with 19 points in the frame. Haley Nichols scored eight of her 13 points in the first half, helping trim the deficit to 45-30 at the break. UWA shot 46.7 percent in the second quarter and was perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Alabama Huntsville extended its lead in the third, outscoring West Alabama 22-18 behind continued efficiency from the perimeter. The Chargers finished the night shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from three (11-of-22), while also converting 21-of-27 at the free-throw line.
Chardai Watkins led the Tigers with 16 points, going 8-of-9 at the charity stripe. Nichols added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Bellah Machen chipped in 10 points, including UWA's lone three-pointer of the night. Nailah Mayes contributed eight points and five rebounds, and Callie Cowan added seven points.
West Alabama shot 41.8 percent from the field and 77.8 percent at the free-throw line but struggled from long distance, connecting on just 1-of-9 attempts. The Tigers scored 36 points in the paint and received 18 points from the bench, but UAH capitalized on turnovers, turning them into 24 points.
Lili Wilken led all scorers with 26 points and eight rebounds for the Chargers. Bella White added 15 points, while Paris Opelt and Millie Brown finished in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Despite closing the gap to as few as 14 in the fourth quarter, West Alabama could not overcome the early deficit as Alabama Huntsville secured the 80-61 victory in front of the home fans.
The Tigers' season comes to an end with a nine win improvement from year one to year two under Coach Tiffany Morton.
