BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (December 19, 2023) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team earned its first road victory of the season Tuesday afternoon, beating the Samford Bulldogs 69-64 inside the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham.
North Alabama and Samford played each other close in the first half, with the Bulldogs holding on to a one-point lead after two quarters, 27-26. Following the halftime break, UNA's offense caught fire with a 28-point outburst to shift momentum. The Bulldogs would fight back in the final quarter, including eight points in the final two minutes of the contest, but the Lions held strong to win it.
UNA improves to 4-7 on the season, while the Bulldogs move to 7-5. Today marks UNA's first road win of the season.
The Lions had a balanced scoring effort from the top three scorers, led by 16 points from senior guard Alexis Callins and 14 points each from sophomore guard Alyssa Clutter and senior guard Sara Wohlgemuth. Freshman guard Katie Criswell and sophomore forward Cameron Jones also contributed eight points apiece.
Wohlgemuth was on triple-double watch throughout the game, finishing with nine rebounds and six assists to add to her afternoon. She scored the final six points for the Lions in the fourth to help clinch the win for UNA.
Clutter contributed a career-high five assists for North Alabama, and Jones had a solid performance with five rebounds, two assists and two blocks to add to the eight points she scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER: The Lions were the aggressors early in Birmingham, scoring the first seven points to open play. Criswell and sophomore forward India Howard — fresh off a 10-rebound performance against Arkansas State — got the scoring started with Criswell totaling five of those points. The Bulldogs matched the Lions score-for-score for the next three possessions and eventually took a 15-13 lead into the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER: UNA opened the second period hot, just like the first, going on a 9-0 run from four different scorers — Howard, Wohlgemuth, Clutter and sophomore guard Rhema Pegues — to retake the lead. Samford broke their scoring drought after three minutes of game time with five points. Wohlgemuth would hit a floater to get the Lions back on the board after two scoreless UNA minutes, but the Bulldogs scored the next two to tie the game at 24-24 at the media timeout. Both defenses allowed just one score in the final three minutes of the half, but a free throw gave the hosts the one-point advantage heading into the halftime break, 27-26.
THIRD QUARTER: Callins started the second half off in true North Alabama fashion, hitting a three on an assist from Clutter. Callins would follow up with a steal-and-score on the next possession, but Samford came back with a second-chance layup. The Lions kept their foot on the gas to start the quarter, outscoring Samford 16-6 for their largest lead of the game at 42-33. This continued with an 8-0 run before Samford broke a four-minute scoreless run. UNA led by double-digits at the end of the quarter, scoring 28 points to go up 54-40.
FOURTH QUARTER: Samford opened the fourth quarter by cutting the deficit to 58-47. As Samford battled back, Callins would give North Alabama more breathing room with a timely triple. Samford scored eight points over the final four minutes, but the Lions matched the Bulldogs point-for-point to maintain control of the lead. Two big three-pointers from Wohlgemuth down the stretch all but confirmed the victory in Birmingham. A late 8-0 run for Samford would not be enough, as UNA held on for a 69-64 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
· 28 – UNA scored 28 points in the third quarter for the largest lead of the game. Down by one at halftime, the Lions shot 69.2 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from the three and 100 percent from the line to swing the momentum in North Alabama's favor.
· 100% – The Lions showed patience and composure at the line to finish perfect 14-14 on free throws. Clutter led the way with six free throws, while Wohlgemuth finished with four. Callins and Jones knocked down two apiece.
· 14-9-6 – The stat line for Sara Wohlgemuth, who's senior leadership showed when it mattered most. Wohlgemuth finished tied for second in scoring with Clutter, scoring 14 points to go with team-highs in rebounds (9) and assists (6). She also scored the final six points for the Lions to ice the game.
· 1 – The win over Samford gave the Lions their first road victory of the season, snapping a five-game road skid. The number one is also significant because it marks the first home loss for Samford this season, going in the contest a perfect 6-0 in home games.
COMING UP NEXT
UNA Women's Basketball returns home from its three-game road trip on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. as the Lions will host Tennessee Tech inside CB&S Bank Arena. Tickets are available at this link.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
