LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team opened the season with a 70-60 overtime loss at Auburn Montgomery. AUM (2-2) outscored the Tigers (0-1) 15-5 in the extra session of play.

UWA had three in double figures scoring led by Valerie Harris’ 20 points, which tied a career-high. Omeshia Frost added 14 points while Danielle Baldwin supplied 11 points. Harris, a Lake, Miss.-native, finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. AUM was led by Haley McIntyre with 22 points and Melanie Gess with 10 rebounds.

AUM scored the first four points of overtime behind a bucket by Gess and two free throws from McIntyre. A Harris basket with 2:23 left pulled UWA within 59-57, but the Lady Senators strung together an 11-3 run to close the game.

The Lady Senators, which led 23-21 at the half, pushed out to as many as 11 points with less than 10 minutes to play in the second half on a jumper by McIntyre. UWA rallied behind a 15-4 run to tie the game at 46-46 with 5:03 to play in regulation on a jumper by Harris. AUM put together a 5-3 spurt to regain a 51-49 lead, but a trey from Jessie Clark with 3:04 to play gave UWA its first lead since the 6:41 mark of the opening half.

Kala Smith put AUM back up by one with a field goal at the 1:54 mark. Baldwin gave UWA a 55-53 lead with an old fashioned three-point play with 4 seconds remaining, but Smith shot AUM into OT with a jumper at the buzzer.

UWA, which led most of the first half, opened the game on a 9-3 run, behind four points from Harris, a three-pointer by Frost and a bucket from Keiara Middleton.

West Alabama returns to action on Friday, Nov. 21, as the UWA will travel to the University of Mobile for a 5:30 p.m. tip.