AUM News
Marquez Brooks scored a game-high 19 points against West Alabama on Monday.
Marquez Brooks scored a game-high 19 points against West Alabama on Monday.
Men's Basketball - Mon. Jan. 16, 2012
Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala. ---- Sophomore Marquez Brooks scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, including the game-winning jumper with 12 seconds remaining to lead the Auburn University at Montgomery men's basketball team past West Alabama, 65-64, Monday at the AUM Physical Education Complex.

Brooks led three Warhawks (4-12) in double figures, while adding four assists, two rebounds, a block and a steal in the contest.

"The second half was certainly a better half for all of us, but me in particular," Brooks said. "I was struggling at the free throw line and with my jump shot. On the last shot of the game, I was just praying it would go in, and it did. Saturday's loss was a tough one for us, so we wanted to come out and show we are a better team than that."

Along with Brooks, sophomore A.J. Ansley and senior Alex Hergott also scored in double figures, scoring 14 and 13, respectively. Ansley also added a team-high nine rebounds, as AUM held a 42-31 advantage on the Tigers (4-12) on the boards.

The Warhawks also controlled the inside, scoring 42 points in the paint, compared to just 16 for West Alabama. Hergott was a key contributor inside, finishing 6-for-10 from the floor, while also pulling down six rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. Senior Michael Lee and Stephen Jordan also were efficient inside, combining for 17 points and 13 rebounds.

For the game, AUM converted 42.1 percent of its shots from the floor, despite hitting just 1-of-11 from behind the arc. The Warhawks were efficient at the charity stripe, hitting 16-of-22 attempts. The Tigers made 37.3 percent of their shots, hitting nine 3-pointers, but struggled at the free throw line, converting just 60.7 percent.

Early in the contest, the Warhawks were unable to get going offensively, as the Tigers raced out to a 22-6 lead with 8:52 remaining in the period, behind consecutive 3-pointers by Alquan Mendenhall.

AUM answered with seven straight points and closed the half with 24 of the final 29 points to pull within three at the intermission, 30-27. Ansley sealed the half with a trey with nine seconds remaining to cap the spurt.

In the second half, the Warhawks chipped away, taking their first lead of the contest since a 6-5 advantage, when Hergott hit a lay-in with 14:33 remaining to give AUM a 39-38 lead.

The Warhawks pushed their lead to as many as eight points, 54-46, on a free throw by Hergott with 8:55 left to play, but West Alabama stormed back with eight straight to tie the game with 6:09 remaining.

The final six minutes feature five ties and no more than a two-point advantage by either team, before the Tigers took a 64-63 lead with 19 seconds remaining on a free throw by Steven Samuels. Brooks took the in-bound pass and drove the length of the court, hitting a fade-away jumper in the lane to seal the victory.

Ryan Fitch paced four West Alabama players in double figures, scoring 15 points. Darrion Booker added eight points and a team-best seven rebounds.

"This win could work several ways, but it depends on the maturity of our team," head coach Larry Chapman said. "I will be interested to see how they handle this victory, if they can build on it, and to see if they will be focused for when a tough, hard-nosed Mobile team comes in here on Thursday. The real test for this team will be to see how they respond on tonight and how well they practice tomorrow and Wednesday."

AUM will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 19, when it hosts the University of Mobile in a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader. Tip-off of the women's game is slated for 5:30 p.m., with the men to follow at approximately 7:30 p.m.