CLEVELAND, Miss. – The University of West Alabama women’s basketball team closed out pre-holiday action with a 63-61 overtime win over the University of Arkansas at Monticello in the sixth annual Lloyd Clark Classic. The win snapped a two-game skid for UWA (3-7). The win was the first OT win since Jan. 12 of last season against UAH, 76-74.

Valerie Harris led the Tigers with a career-high 23 points, while Keiara Middleton posted 13 points. Danielle Baldwin paced UWA on the boards with a career-high nine rebounds.

After a Middleton layup with 30 seconds to play tied the game at 58 all at the end of regulation, UWA grabbed the lead in the overtime session on a layup by Baldwin. Monica Perkins-Miller gave UAM the lead back, 61-60, on an old fashioned three point play with two minutes to play in the extra time frame. Omeshia Frost connected on a jumper at the 1:38 mark to put UWA back up 62-61. Baldwin added a free throw with 19 ticks left to ice the two-point victory.

UWA, which trailed by as many as eight points with seven minutes to play in regulation, grabbed its first lead, 56-55, since the 16:19 mark of the opening half on a pair of free throws by Baldwin, who finished the night with five points. An Erika Brown jumper and free throw with less than a minute to play in regulation gave UAM a 58-56 lead. Brown led the Cotton Blossoms with 17 points, as Perkins-Miller finished with 11 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

The Tigers shot 43.9-percent from the floor on the night, compared to UAM’s 35.3-percent. UWA also held the advantage in the rebound margin, the first of the season, with 46 boards to UAM’s 39.

West Alabama returns to the hardwood on Monday, Dec. 29, as UWA will take part in the West Florida Holiday Classic. The Tigers face Arkansas Tech in the first game of the classic. Tip-off at the UWF Fieldhouse is for 4:00 p.m.