ROGERSVILLE&045;A pair of turned ankles kept Selma’s super Santana Seay on the bench for the first half, but freshman Erica Lumpkin stepped in and answered the bell.

In the final game of the Northwest Alabama Championship game, the 16-0 Selma Lady Saints faced off against J.O. Johnson of Birmingham.

The Saints battled gamely, but Johnson held off a late charge to hand Selma their first loss of the season, 64-58.

The loss came despite outstanding games from Lumpkin and Saints’ center Kim Wilson.

Wilson finished with 22 points and 9 boards.

Lumpkin added 19 points and 8 boards.

Shemeka Simpson had 7 points and 2 assists.

Ashley Green had 5 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Keeshee Dozier had 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Tyease Jones had 2 points and 4 boards.

Seay had a single point.

Johnson’s center, Alexis Ogubie, was unstoppable in the early going.

She scored 8 first quarter points.

Luckily for Selma, Lumpkin matched her point for point and then some.

Lumpkin drilled a rainbow three for 10 points in the quarter.

Selma led 21-17 after the first period.

In the second quarter, Wilson took over.

She clamped down on Ogubie and held her to 4 points in the quarter.

The Saints extended the lead to 33-27, but Sherrell Hobbs picked up the slack for Johnson.

She hit a pair of jumpers and cut the lead to 33-31.

Chelsea Jordan picked off a pass and hit one of two at the line to cut the lead to a point at the half.

In the third quarter, coach Anthony Harris sent in Seay. Playing on pure guts, Seay gave the Lady Saints a big lift.

Wilson got into foul trouble in the third but Lumpkin picked up her game again.

Simpson fed the ball to Lumpkin for a trey that gave Selma a 48-45 lead.

Wilson picked up her fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and Hobbs scored a couple of buckets to give

Johnson the lead.

Simpson hit a pair of free throws and cut the lead back to 55-52.

The Saints continued to battle but Johnson made enough buckets to hold on for the win.

Both the Saints and Lady Saints resume play at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.

They will host West End.