LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- The Mississippi College women's basketball team was playing in head coach Paul Allen Duke's 500th career game, but the University of West Alabama spoiled the milestone with a 75-67 victory on Saturday afternoon in Pruitt Hall.

The Lady Choctaws (8-9, 4-9 GSC) trailed in the opening minutes but used a 10-0 run to take a 15-9 lead with 11:04 remaining in the first half on a layup by Mollie Blair. The Jackson, Miss. native scored a season-high 11 points off the bench, and MC took a 28-26 lead into the halftime break.

As the second half began, junior Ashley Minor nailed a jumper to push MC's lead out to 38-34 with 16:16 remaining, but the Tigers (8-9, 5-8 GSC) used a 16-7 run and scored eight straight to take a 50-45 lead with 11:07 remaining. The Lady Choctaws would cut the lead to two, but UWA would hold on to the advantage the rest of the way and earn the GSC win.

Minor led the Lady Choctaws with 15 points, going 6-of-10 from the field with three steals. Junior Kristen Sampson was also in double-figures with 12 points, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line. MC shot 43% (22-of-51) from the field and outrebounded the Tigers by a 41-38 count, but UWA's 49 second-half points gave them the victory.

Britney McCloud scored a career-high 28 points for the Tigers, going 11-of-21 from the field and tallying a double-double with 11 rebounds. UWA shot 63% (17-of-27) from the field in the second half.

The Lady Choctaws will be back in action on Thursday night when they host Christian Brothers at 6:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.