from school reports
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.
