Published: November 11, 2008 11:08 pm      

West Alabama falls at MVSU

ITTA BENA — Playing for the second consecutive night against NCAA Division I competition, the University of West Alabama men’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought 66-58 exhibition decision to Mississippi Valley State University — the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference Champion.

A trio of Tigers posted double-figure scoring totals, led by junior Dominique Coleman’s 19 points.

Jonathan Griffin registered a double-double with a 16-point, 12-rebound performance. Jason Swanson, who led UWA in scoring on Monday at Troy, added 10 points and five boards in the setback.

UWA finished with a slightly better shooting percentage with a 46 percent shooting night while MVSU turned in a 44 percent mark. The Tigers trailed 31-28 at the halftime break.

MVSU’s Eric Petty was credited with a game-high 21 points along with Dwayne Harmason’s 18 points.

The Tigers open the 2008-09 season at Jacksonville State on Tuesday, Nov. 18.