LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team earned its first win of the 2007-2008 campaign, holding off Auburn Montgomery, 59-51, on Saturday afternoon at Pruitt Hall.

Ashton Washington led the way for the Tigers (1-2) with 18 points and nine rebounds in the contest, as Valerie Harris and Jenni Thomley each added 10 points for the Red and White. The Lady Senators were paced by Carlie Ainsworth with 21 points.

UWA led much of the first half, but saw its four point advantage, 26-22, at the intermission dwindle behind a 7-0 AUM run to start the second half, ignited by five points from Ainsworth.

The Tigers would fight back into the contest and grab a three-point lead, 37-34, at the 13:06 mark of the second half on a jumper from Dominique Whitfield, but AUM put together a 6-1 spurt to grab a two point lead with 9:21 remaining in the contest. The lead would be the final one for AUM, as Washington drained a three-pointer with 9:11 remaining to give UWA the lead for good.

Following Washington’s trey, UWA would outscore the Lady Senators 17-8 over an eight minute span to reach a 58-48, capped by a three-point play by Irimar Hernandez. The 10-point lead was UWA’s largest of the game.

UWA opened the contest on an 8-2 run in the first five minutes of the contest and extended it to eight points with less than nine minutes to play before the half. The Tigers held the advantage and headed into the locker-room up four points.

West Alabama returns to action on Tuesday, November 27, when the Tigers travel to Pulaski, Tenn. to face Martin Methodist. Tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.