MONTEVALLO, Ala. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's basketball team held off a late comeback effort in a raucous road environment on Wednesday night, picking up a 61-58 victory over Montevallo in the Gulf South Conference opener for both. UAH improves to 5-1 (1-0 GSC), while UM slips to 2-5 (0-1 GSC).
 
Turning Point
-With Montevallo holding the ball with the chance to tie or go in front, Aryn Sanders grabbed a key defensive rebound with two seconds left in the game and then hit a free throw at the other end to seal the contest for the Chargers.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Three players scored in double figures for the Chargers with Baylee Johnson's 14 leading the way while Morgan Tipton and Sanders added 11 and 10, respectively.
-Both Tipton and Sanders were strong from the floor as Tipton went 4-for-6 with Sanders going 3-for-4.
-On the glass Sanders and Chandler Elder led the team with eight rebounds, while Elder dished out a team-best five assists.
-Montevallo was led by Nautika Philpot who scored 23 on the evening.
-For the contest, the Chargers shot 45.8 percent while limiting the Falcons to a 37.9 percent mark from the floor, and UAH won the rebounding battle by a 36-30 margin.
-The guests outscored Montevallo 26-22 in points in the paint including a 10-4 margin in the decisive fourth quarter.
 
Inside the Flow
-After Montevallo scored the first bucket of the game, the Chargers dominated the next several minutes, going on a 9-0 run as part of a larger spurt that put the visitors ahead 19-7 after a Johnson layup at the 3:31 mark of the opening quarter.
-After the Chargers finished the first with a 21-14 advantage, the Falcons would narrow the gap to as few as five in the second stanza, but UAH would go into the locker room at the break holding a 35-27 advantage.
-UAH would regain as much as an 11-point lead in the third quarter before the Falcons would close the period on a solid run to cut the advantage to 47-42 going into the fourth.
-An Allie Bolton layup at the 8:57 mark of the final quarter gave UAH a 51-42 advantage, but Montevallo then went on a quick 7-0 run to cut the gap to just two at 51-49 with 6:09 left in the game.
-The Chargers responded, however, going back on top by seven at 60-53 after a Speegle bucket with 1:04 left, but UM scored five points in just over 20 seconds to pull within two before the key Sanders board late ended the comeback effort.
 
Noteworthy
-UAH in just six contests has matched its win total from a year ago in what so far has been quite the turnaround.
-The 45.8 percent shooting mark from the floor is a season high for the Chargers.
-Johnson has now led UAH in scoring in three of the team's six games on the season.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH will be off until Sunday when the Chargers continue GSC play on the road at West Alabama. Tip-off in Livingston is slated for 2 p.m.