TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome an early deficit in its exhibition game contest at Coleman Coliseum against the University of Alabama, falling 76-49.

Valerie Harris and Jenni Thomley led the charge for UWA, as the duo each posted double figures on the night. Harris, a native of Lake, Miss., scored 16 points on the night with Thomley, a Winfield, Ala. product, scoring 12 points. Newcomer Erin Courington (Locust Fork, Ala.) added nine points. Harris also led the Tigers on the board with eight rebounds.

After trailing by 19 at the half, UWA opened the second half on a 9-5 run to cut the lead to 15 points behind the scoring of Harris, Thomley and Keiara Middleton, a new face to the Tiger roster from Birmingham, Ala. However the Tide answered with a 19-6 run over nearly 11 minutes to push the lead out to 30 points with less than six minutes to play.

UA would expand its lead to as many as 33 points in the game on a back end of a pair of free throws from Tierney Jenkins with under four to play.

UWA fell behind early in the contest, as the Tigers trailed 15-4 in the first nine minutes of the contest. The Red and White saw their first five trips down the floor end in turnovers, assisting the Crimson Tide in their scoring. Bama expanded its first half lead to as many as 21 points at the 5:14 mark.

The Tigers shot 39.2-percent from the floor, while the Tide shot 45.9

West Alabama opens the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 15, as the Tigers travel to Auburn Montgomery for a 2:00 p.m. start against the Lady Senators.