HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's basketball team will go into the Christmas break on a high note after defeating Shorter 73-72 in overtime at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall on Monday night. The Chargers improve to 7-3 (2-2 Gulf South Conference) with the win, while Shorter slips to 2-8 (0-4 GSC).
 
Turning Point
-With the game tied at 72-72 with six seconds left in the overtime period, Chandler Elder made a free throw fall and then fought for a loose ball after missing the second, ultimately causing the ball to go off a Shorter player to keep possession with the Chargers and seal the contest for UAH.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Elder led the Chargers on the night offensively as she scored 25 while narrowly missing out on a double-double with nine rebounds, and the senior added four steals and two assists for good measure.
-Reaching double figures in rebounds in the opening half, Aryn Sanders did log a double-double as she scored 16 and grabbed 14 rebounds including 11 in the first two quarters, and she also dished out a team-best three assists.
-Katie Speegle was terrific defensively, swatting away five shots while also collecting four rebounds two of which came at the defensive end of the floor.
-Shorter outshot the Chargers by a 47.1 percent to 39.3 percent margin, and the visitors also held a 45-40 edge in rebounds.
-Jasmine Gaines led the Hawks 18 points, while BreAnna Thompson had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Inside the Flow
-Shorter opened as much as a four-point advantage in the opening quarter, but a 7-3 run for the Chargers to end the frame tied the affair at 13-13 heading into the second.
-UAH then went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc over the first seven minutes of the second frame, outscoring the Hawks 19-11 to take a 32-24 lead at the 3:01 mark of the stanza before going into the locker room leading 32-29.
-An 8-4 run to start the third quarter put UAH up by its largest advantage of the second half at 40-33 with 6:47 on the clock after an Elder triple, and the hosts would go into the final period of regulation leading 50-46.
-The Chargers held a 61-55 advantage with 3:39 remaining in the fourth, but Shorter then outscored the home team 9-3 with a Bianca Thornton layup falling at the buzzer to send the game to overtime tied at 64-64.
-Shorter scored the first bucket of the extra session, and the Chargers would tie the game four times before Elder's free throw in the waning moments proved to be the difference-maker.
 
Noteworthy
-The double-double for Sanders is the first of the sophomore's career, and she also establishes a career-best with the 14 rebounds.
-The 25 points for Elder marks a career-high for the senior whose previous best mark was 24 which she performed against West Alabama on Dec. 3.
-The five blocks for Speegle is the most by a UAH player since Renita Lewis recorded eight against North Alabama on Jan. 6, 2010.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH will be off until Dec. 30 when Oakland City makes the return trip to Huntsville with tip-off slated for 2 p.m. at Spragins Hall. UAH was a 79-68 winner over OCU back on Nov. 18 in the Hoosier State.