HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team earned a much-needed first conference win of the season on Monday night, defeating visiting West Georgia by a 62-59 score at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The Chargers improve to 8-4 (1-2 Gulf South Conference), while UWG slips to 3-6 (1-3 GSC).
 
Chaney Johnson led UAH in scoring in the contest as he went 6-for-8 with a pair of 3-pointers and a monster dunk to score 19, while Max Shulman scored 13 thanks to two big 3-pointers to start the second half while also collecting seven rebounds.
 
CJ Williamson paced the Chargers on the glass with eight board.
 
The contest was a tight affair through much of the first half with the lead exchanging hands six times including when the Wolves went up 17-14 with 6:08 left in the opening half, but a strong push from the home team would give UAH an eight-point lead twice in the closing minutes of the stanza before carrying a 29-25 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
Shulman would then knock down the two triples on back-to-back possessions to start the second 20 minutes, giving the Chargers a 35-25 lead, which would prove to be the largest advantage for either team in the game.
 
After a Luke Burnett bucket put UAH in front 47-38 at the 13:04 mark, West Georgia would rattle off a 10-0 run to take its first lead since the first half, but it would not be one held for long as Dalton Dodd has an immediate answer on the other end, his first of three key baskets he would make down the stretch to help the Chargers hold on for the win. 
 
UAH finished the contest shooting 47.9 percent while limiting the guests to a 37.3 percent shooting mark, but UWG was able to capitalize on the Blue and White's 20 turnovers for a 19-14 edge in points off turnovers which helped keep the game tight while also winning the rebounding battle by a 37-31 margin.
 
The Chargers outscored the guests by a key 36-20 margin inside the paint.
 
UAH will now turn its attention to Lee as the Chargers make the quick journey up to Cleveland, Tennessee, on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. CT.