CLEVELAND, Miss. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team dropped a 67-57 decision to North Georgia in the 5^th Annual Lloyd Clark Classic at Walter Sillers Coliseum on the campus of Delta State University Tuesday afternoon. The Red and White (3-6) shot 33.8-percent from the field on the night, as the Saints (8-1) connected on 46-percent of its shots.

Three Tigers scored in double figures, led by 16 from Jessica Thompson. Valerie Harris chimed in with a career-high 15 points, as Dominique Whitfield supplied 10 points. Ashton Washington paced the Red and White on the boards with 16 rebounds.

The Saints had four in double digits scoring, paced by Kourtney Singleton with 16 points and a team-leading nine rebounds on the night. Syretha Marble and Megan Huffman each tallied 14 points with Brooke Baker adding 10 points.

NGU used an 8-3 run to open the second half. UWA’s first basket of the second half came on a three from Thompson, but the second basket of the half wouldn’t come until almost four minutes later on a jumper from Harris at the 14:24 mark, cutting the Saints advantage to 41-35.

The Saints pushed another 9-3 run to extend its lead to 50-38 at the 9:40 mark. UWA put together a 12-7 spurt to cut the lead to seven points with 1:38 remaining in the contest, but a Saints 10-5 sprint to the finish closed the contest.

UWA opened the contest by doubling up the Saints, 14-7, at the 14:15 mark. NGU cut the deficit to 16-15, but the Tigers added five quick points to extend the lead back out to 21-15.

NGU put together a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the contest, 22-21, with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half on a trey from Marble. The Tigers answered with four quick points to push the lead out to 25-22, but the Saints tied the contest, 26-26, at the 4:42 mark of the first stanza. UWA and NGU would exchange leads the remainder of the half, but the Saints used a 5-0 run to hold a 33-30 lead at the half.

Washington was named to the Lloyd Clark Classic All-Tournament Team. The Lexington, Miss.-native was joined by Syretha Marble of North Georgia, Rachel Brockman of Lynn University, Lakira Boyd, Lamaesha McAdory and Jessica Boyd from Delta State University. DSU’s Jennifer Rushing was named Clark Classic MVP.

West Alabama returns to action on Saturday, December 29^th, as the Tigers take part in the West Florida Classic. UWA opens the tournament against Gulf South Conference West Division foe the University of Arkansas at Monticello in a 12 p.m. tip-off. The Tigers close the classic the following day against another GSC West Division rival, Henderson State, in a 12 p.m. contest.