FLORENCE, Ala. (January 13, 2024) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team suffered an 85-67 defeat to the Lipscomb Bisons in Atlantic Sun Conference action from CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall in Florence, Ala.
Lipscomb earns their third conference win of the season and 10th overall to move to 10-7 and 3-1, while UNA falls to 1-2 in league play and 5-11 overall.
The two teams started evenly in the first quarter, but Lipscomb would gain control with a 26-point second quarter to lead double-digits at the half. A stronger second half for UNA began with a 19-point third quarter to help cut the deficit, but the Bisons outscored the Lions 21-17 in the final quarter to seal the road win.
Two days after scoring a career-high 27 points against Austin Peay, graduate forward Allie Craig Cruce led the scoring for the Lions with 16 points on 50 percent shooting (5-10) while hitting three triples. She also added two rebounds and two steals.
Senior guard Sara Wohlgemuth had a near-double double with 13 points and a game-high nine assists, finishing as the second-highest scorer for the Lions. The all-around guard finished with the second-highest assist total of her career and four points short of her career high in scoring.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER: The ASUN matchup began going back-and-forth, as neither team could separate early. Five-straight points from the Bisons gave them a 9-5 lead after two minutes, but a 6-2 run from UNA gave the Lions the lead at the media timeout. Scores from sophomore guard Alyssa Clutter and freshman guard Katie Criswell extended the lead to 15-12, but a 9-1 Bisons' advantage ended the first quarter with Lipscomb leading 21-16.
SECOND QUARTER: Lipscomb would start strong in the second quarter, opening with a quick 6-0 run to force a UNA timeout. Senior guard Alexis Callins got the Lions on the board with a dribble step back three-pointer, but an 11-3 run further extended the Bisons' lead. A three-pointer from Wohlgemuth stopped the Lipscomb run, sparking UNA to nine points in the final four minutes of the quarter. Lipscomb went into halftime with a 47-31 advantage after outscoring the Lions 26-15 in the period.
THIRD QUARTER: The second half began with UNA going on a 10-2 run out of the games, cutting the lead to single digits. Cruce and Callins came out firing, combining for the UNA scores to spark the North Alabama offense. Lipscomb responded with 6-0 run to maintain its grip on the lead. UNA's offense would continue to score the ball with scores from sophomore guard Rhema Pegues, Wohlgemuth and freshman guard Veronaye Charlton, but Lipscomb responded each time with scores of their own. The final four minutes saw both teams score nine points as the final quarter loomed from CB&S Bank Arena — UNA trailing 64-50.
FOURTH QUARTER: UNA tacked on the first three points of the fourth period, and despite scoring 17 fourth-quarter points and shooting 50 percent from the field, the Lions could not keep Lipscomb off the scoresheet and were unable to get the lead back. The visitors outscored UNA 21-17 and shot 50 percent from the floor in the fourth to stave off the comeback.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
· 13/9 – Wohlgemuth's output on the offensive end tonight helped lead the way, scoring 13 points and dishing out nine assists on the night. The senior from Madison, Conn. remains the ASUN leader in assists with a game-high nine dimes.
· 21.5 – Over the last two games against Austin Peay and Lipscomb, Cruce has averaged 21.5 points per game on almost 60 percent shooting (59.6 FG%).
· 26 – Third in the ASUN in bench points per game (22.7), UNA had 26 points off the bench against Lipscomb. Wohlgemuth led off the bench with 13 points, while Pegues (6), sophomore forward India Howard (4) and junior guard Olivia Jones (3) all contributed.
· 50% – The final quarter of action saw UNA fight back from the deficit, putting on their best shooting performance in the period. North Alabama shot 50 percent from the field with five made shots while also shooting 50 percent from behind the arc. Cruce (6) and Wohlgemuth (5) were the scoring leaders for the Lions in the final period.
COMING UP NEXT
UNA Women's Basketball returns to the court on Thursday, Jan. 18, to begin a three-game road trip against the Bellarmine Knights in Louisville, Ky. The ASUN matchup tips off in Freedom Hall at 5:30 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
