BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (December 18, 2023) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team will wrap up its current three-game roadtrip with an in-state clash in Birmingham against the Samford Bulldogs early Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Lions, coming off of a close 82-78 overtime defeat to Sun Belt foe Arkansas State on Dec. 14, will face Samford in the first of two games this week for UNA. North Alabama returns to CB&S Bank Arena inside Flowers Hall later this week on Thursday, Dec. 21 to host Tennessee Tech in the final game before the holiday break.
UNA travels to Birmingham with the hope of breaking a short skid of recent close losses, having dropped the previous two games by a combined seven points with each game coming down to the wire.
The Lions seek their first non-conference road win of the season on Tuesday in what will be the second of three matchups against Alabama-based teams this season. UNA dropped a 70-57 bout on the road against Alabama A&M on Nov. 29. The final game will come at Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent Auburn on Dec. 31.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Samford ticket office. Live stats will be provided courtesy of Statsbroadcast, and the game will be available for streaming on ESPN+. Radio will also be provided courtesy of "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray on WLX 98.3 and 103.5 FM.
MATCHUP
North Alabama at Samford
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
1 p.m.
Game Notes | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Watch
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: The Lions travel to Iron City with a 3-7 record, searching for their first road win of the season and first of the series against the Bulldogs. The Lions continue to be a leader in the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring, averaging 72.9 points per game to rank second in the ASUN. UNA ranks in the top two in free throw percentage (77.5 percent/first), three-point percentage (33.7 percent/first), team assists (15.20 per game/second) and three-pointers made per game average (8.9 PG/second) among ASUN teams.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Samford is located in Birmingham, Ala. and competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Southern Conference (SoCon), having joined in 2008. Samford has 15 intercollegiate athletic programs and began playing women's basketball in 1997 with an all-time record of 378-394. In their last outing on Dec. 16, the Bulldogs were defeated on the road 68-54 by Arkansas. Samford's leading scorer is sophomore guard Masyn Marchbanks (11.3 PPG), and they are coached by fifth-year head coach Carley Kuhns — who prior to Samford coached at Valdosta State. The Bulldogs are 7-4 on the season, including a perfect 6-0 record at home. Samford is also 4-1 against teams based in Alabama this season, with victories against Troy (65-61), Alabama State (69-47), Jacksonville State (65-51) and Division II's Auburn-Montgomery (78-51). The only defeat came on Dec. 10 against Alabama, where the Bulldogs dropped the road bout to the Crimson Tide, 69-39.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama and Samford have met three previous time on the court, with the Bulldogs leading the series 3-0. The series was played for three consecutive years from 2019-2021, but this will be the first meeting between the two teams in two years. In the last meeting on Dec. 30, 2021, Samford used a 28-point fourth quarter to send the matchup against the North Alabama into overtime, ultimately taking the game in the extra period, 78-75.
SETTING THE EXAMPLE: Ten games into the season, UNA Women's Basketball continues to have multiple Lions in the top five of certain categories in the ASUN. Callins is a top-five scorer in the ASUN, averaging 17.4 points per game which places her in the fourth spot. Callins leads the conference in field goal percentage (44.9 percent) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (36.6 percent) and three-pointers made per game (3.0). Freshman guard Veronaye Charlton leads the ASUN in free-throw percentage (88.6 percent), and senior guard Sara Wohlgemuth is first in assists per game (5.7) and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.1). Sophomore guard Alyssa Clutter rounds out the list of Lions in the top five, with Clutter averaging the fifth-most minutes in the ASUN with 32.3.
HEAT CHECK: Callins is having a stellar senior season, and she added on to her career season by setting a new high in three-pointers made in a game on Dec. 14 against Arkansas State. The senior hit six threes against the Red Wolves and shot 42.8 percent from behind the arc, finishing the game with 25 points. She finished the game just two points shy of tying the career high she set earlier this season against UT Martin, when Callins scored 27 points in the Lions' 70-63 home victory inside CB&S Bank Arena.
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