HUNTSVILLE | In a contest that featured two of the four teams that entered Thursday tied for first place in the Gulf South Conference, visiting West Georgia became just the second opponent to defeat the University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team at home this season, winning 85-80 to remain tied with Shorter atop the conference standings.

UAH drops to 14-6 (9-5 GSC), while UWG improves to 15-4 (10-4 GSC).
 
West Alabama also lost on Thursday night, setting up a contest on Saturday in Livingston between two of the teams that are now tied for third as the Chargers will venture there for a 4 p.m. contest. Union is also in the deadlock at third at 9-5.
 
Three players scored in double figures for the Chargers, led by junior Preston Herring who recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a season-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Coming off the bench to score 17 was freshman Justin Ward, while Troy Saxton scored 10.
 
Saxton's strong play with the ball continued as he dished out a team-best four assists while committing just one turnover.
 
The Chargers quickly found themselves in a hole as West Georgia scored the first 10 points of the game, but the hosts would battle back and eventually go ahead, and the team took the lead into the half as Herring beat the buzzer with a dunk that electrified the crowd as UAH was up 32-31 at the break.
 
West Georgia – paced by Deonta Stocks 20-point performance – responded, however, and eventually went ahead by as many as 19 in the second half, and though UAH would close the gap to just four at 82-78 with under 30 seconds remaining, the Wolves were able to hang on for the victory.
 
For the contest, the visitors shot 45.3 percent while holding UAH to a shooting mark of 35.6 percent, and Herring's big night on the boards allowed the Chargers to hold a 45-35 advantage in rebounding.