HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville (2-1) led by four at the half but struggled in the second half, falling to Emporia State (2-1) by a score of 88-61 to pick up its first loss of the year.

The Lady Chargers erased a six-point deficit to the 2010 NCAA Division II National Champions in the first half to take a four-point advantage heading into the break.

UAH extended its lead to six at the start of the second frame, but Emporia State used a 24-9 run over the next 8:19 to lead 57-48 with just under 10 minutes remaining. From there, the Lady Hornets continued to extend its lead en route to a 27 point victory as UAH scored just 13 more points in the game.

Sophomore Jordan Smith scored in double-digits for the third consecutive game, pouring in a season-high 24 points to lead the UAH squad. Fellow classmate Jasmine Hammon just missed her second straight double-double of the year as she scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

While UAH led in the first half, the squad was shooting 30 percent (9-of-30) but managed to shoot just 18.2 percent (6-of-33) in the second half as Emporia State pulled away. By comparison, the Lady Hornets connected on 37.5 percent (12-of-32) in the first frame while improving to a stunning 72 percent (18-of-25) in the second half.

The Lady Chargers continue to win the turnover battle, however, forcing Emporia State into 17 turnovers compared to 14 UAH turnovers.

UAH returns to play Saturday at the UWF Thanksgiving Classic as the Lady Chargers face Henderson State at noon (CST).