TUSKEGEE, AL --- In a back-and-forth battle that saw 22 lead changes, Allen Women's Basketball was edged out in an SIAC road contest at Tuskegee, 63-56. 

Destinee Jamison-Whitfield, a preseason SIAC Second-Team selection, made her season debut in the loss, finishing with eight points and a pair of assists. Jamison-Whitfield entered the 2023-24 season with just one semester of eligibility remaining and opted to play beginning in the spring semester. 

Despite facing a nine-point deficit after the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets outscored the Tigers by eight in the second, to go into halftime trailing 24-23. After shooting 32% (9-28) from the field in the first half, Allen's offense caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 22 points on 8-14 shooting (57%) to take a 45-44 lead into the fourth. 

However, Tuskegee regained control during the final three minutes Thursday, closing out the game on a 7-0 run to take down the Yellow Jackets. 

"This was a tough loss for us, but definitely not discouraging," said Coach Latoya Jones. "Our defensive pressure disrupted their offensive strengths in the paint. We forced them to 19 turnovers in the half court. The difference maker in the last few minutes of the game were our costly mental mistakes that lead to turnovers at critical moments."

Taliah Wesley led Allen with nine points, as she finished (5-7) from the free-throw line, while Jamison-Whitfield, KashHankerson, and Victoria Zidor each added eight points in their first game of 2024 - a season-high for Zidor. On the defensive end, Zion Duncan grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds in the loss. 

Allen (4-6) will aim for a bounce-back win Saturday at Spring Hill with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m.