HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
HUNTSVILLE | Avenging an earlier loss, the University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team had five players score in double figures in picking up a 75-68 victory over visiting Lee on Thursday night at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The Chargers improve to 16-6 (11-5 Gulf South Conference), while Lee slips to 11-10 (6-10 GSC).
 
With both West Georgia and Shorter losing on Thursday night, the Chargers are once again in a three-way tie for first in the GSC standings with UWG and SU, placing even more importance on Saturday's showdown with Shorter.
 
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. on the UAH campus.
 
Preston Herring led the way for the Chargers, scoring 17 as he was 6-for-7 from the floor while also going 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. Seab Webster scored 14, while Ronnie Mack hit two key triples en route to scoring 13. Scoring 12 and grabbing a team-best eight rebounds was Greg Gardner, while Justin Ward rounded out the contingent that reached double figures as he scored 11 off the bench.
 
It was a big second half that propelled the home team to the win as UAH had to overcome 11 first-half turnovers that resulted in a 43-34 deficit at the half.
 
Trailing 45-39 at the 17:15 mark of the second half, the Chargers went on a 9-0 run that was punctuated by a dish from Gardner to Herring who slammed it home to put his team on top for the first time in the game at 47-45 with 15:26 left in the contest.
 
The Flames – who were paced by Chad Lee's 15 points – responded and eventually went back ahead by five at the midway point of the half, but UAH then controlled the next six minutes, going on a 18-5 run that was keyed by eight points by Webster and eight Lee turnovers to build up a 72-64 advantage at the 4:15 mark.
 
Lee was then unable to narrow the gap any closer than six in the final minutes.
 
Both teams shot 50 percent in the first half, and Lee concluded the game outshooting the Chargers 43.1 percent to 41.3 percent, but UAH – who has been uncharacteristically shaky at the free throw line this season – converted on 32 of its 39 earned attempts at the stripe to help pick up the victory.
 
By a 34-28 margin, the guests won the battle on the glass.