CARROLLTON, Ga. — Freshman center Haya Abdel Aal delivered a near double-double, and the injury-ravaged Bellarmine University women's basketball team played a highly competitive first half before West Georgia pulled away in the third quarter of a 69-39 win over the Knights on Saturday in Atlantic Sun Conference play at The Coliseum.

Although Bellarmine (2-21, 0-10 ASUN) suited up a mere four scholarship players who were accompanied by six January walk-ons, the Knights entered halftime trailing by only five points against West Georgia (14-7, 7-3), which is in second place in the conference and held a 53-27 lead over BU at the intermission in their Jan. 3 matchup in Louisville.

Abdel Aal missed the previous two games due to injury but returned with a vengeance. In the top performance of her debut season, the 6-foot-4 center amassed career highs in points (16), blocks (three) and field goals made (seven) while equaling a career best with nine rebounds. It was immense production in 22 minutes of action with intervals on the stationary bike in between her stints on the floor.

Abdel Aal got established from the get-go — after entering off the bench in the first quarter, it took her all of 18 seconds to find the bottom of the net. The top scoring effort of her young career included eight points in each half.

Considering the injury circumstances and caliber of opponent, the second period was certainly among Bellarmine's finest quarters of the season. The Knights outscored West Georgia 18-10 in the frame to trail 29-24 at halftime. Freshman walk-on Maddie Janszen triggered an 18-5 run with a 3-pointer as gutsy defense, hard-nosed rebounding and a steady diet of free throws from sophomore forward Kayce Hyman got the Knights within two possessions at the break.

Hyman supplied 11 of her 13 points in the second quarter, working her way to the charity stripe eight times in the stanza and hitting seven of the attempts. It was the fifth straight game in which she posted 13 points or more.

Freshman walk-on Olivia Pifer, a 5-4 guard, racked up seven rebounds for Bellarmine. That was emblematic of a gritty performance in which the Knights were outrebounded by only three.

West Georgia got back on track in a big way in the third quarter. The Wolves opened the period with a pair of 3-pointers and ultimately outscored the shorthanded Knights 22-5 in the frame.

Bellarmine will play at 7 p.m. (ET) Thursday at FGCU.

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