PHOTOS
HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's basketball team clinched a position in the upcoming Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball Championships on Saturday with a 64-53 victory over visiting Mississippi College at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The Chargers improve to 13-10 (10-9 GSC), while MC falls to 3-16 (5-17 GSC).
 
The tournament appearance will mark the fifth consecutive for the Chargers and will represent the second under second-year head coach Andrea Lemmond.
 
For the third time in six games, UAH was led in scoring by freshman Baylee Johnson as she poured in 15 on the night while also dishing out a team-best six assists to help the Chargers record 14 assists on 19 made shots.
 
Johnson was joined in double figures by three others Chargers as Dina Saunders scored 11 and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and that rebounding performance was matched by Chandler Elder who also scored 10 points.
 
Josi Saunders rounded out the double-figure contingent by also recording 10.
 
UAH jumped out to a 17-13 lead after the first quarter, and then the Chargers limited the visitors to just three field goals and seven points in the second quarter while also going on a 10-0 run in the period en route to holding a 33-20 advantage at the halftime break.
 
The Choctaws – paced by Carla Clemmons who scored 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds – would then be unable to narrow the gap any closer than eight in the second half as the Chargers won for the second time in as many games.
 
For the contest, UAH was outshot by MC by a 39.6 percent to 31.1 percent margin, but the Chargers only allowed the Choctaws to make a pair of 3-pointers while making six of their own.
 
Additionally, the Chargers held a wide 47-31 edge in rebounding including an 18-8 advantage on the offensive glass.
 
A 15-9 difference in bench production along with a 13-6 edge in second-chance points aided the hosts in the win.
 
UAH will return to action on Thursday when the team travels to Memphis for a 5 p.m. contest at Christian Brothers. The Chargers currently hold a two-game lead over CBU for the sixth seed in the postseason tournament.