Bacchus
Drew Barton
69
UT Martin UTM 2-1,0-0 OVC
87
Winner North Ala. UNA 3-0,0-0 ASUN
UT Martin UTM
2-1,0-0 OVC
69
Final
87
North Ala. UNA
3-0,0-0 ASUN
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UT Martin UTM 41 28 69
North Ala. UNA 44 43 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Lions steamroll Skyhawks with second half surge, 87-69

Jacari Lane drops 22 points; five others add double figures

FLORENCE, Ala. (November 11, 2024) – Six players scored in double figures and junior guard Jacari Lane had 22 points as the University of North Alabama men's basketball team ran away from UT Martin by an 87-69 final inside CB&S Bank Arena on Monday.
 
In a back-and-forth first half, UNA (3-0) led 44-41 heading into the break. The Lions came out explosive in the second half with a remarkable 12-0 run to go up 56-41 with 15:53 remaining. This run was sparked by seven points from Lane and points from forwards Dallas Howell and Corneilous Williams.
 
Later in the frame, UNA led 66-49 and had a personal 12-0 run from sophomore guard Canin Jefferson. With two triples and three layups in a span of over four minutes, the Lions grew their lead to 76-54. The double-digit lead maintained throughout the game.
 
Lane led with 22 points, going 9-18 from the floor and 3-8 from downtown. He and senior transfer Taye Fields, a teammate of Lane's at Lee High School, led the team with four assists. Fields also had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
 
Williams had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first-career double-double. Five of his 10 rebounds were on the offensive boards, helping the Lions earn 15 second chance points. Howell, fellow senior Will Soucie and junior Donte Bacchus had 10 points apiece, while Jefferson finished with 12 — all in his second half heater.
 
UT Martin (2-1) suffered its first loss of the season. Josue Grullon led with 24 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Half: The first media timeout took nearly eight minutes to be called, as the Lions and Skyhawks battled to a 10-9 start in favor of the visitor. The first half saw 10 lead changes and over three minutes of tied basketball. The final tie was 41-41 at the 1:34 mark, as Daniel Ortiz made a layup to put UNA back even. With 36 seconds remaining, Lane hit a three-pointer to give his team the lead ­— and momentum.
 
Second Half: Lane's remarkable night continued with seven second half points in the first five minutes, flipping a tight game into a double-digit lead. That lead grew into a blowout by the end, as the Lions outscored the Skyhawks 43-28 the rest of the way. The second half defense was the clear difference, as UTM went on a long scoring drought and shot just 9-23 from the field in the second half. Eight different Lions scored at least one field goal in the second frame.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • The Lions are 52-26 in home games since moving to Division I in 2018, including 28-3 in non-conference home games.
  • The Lions shot 34-70 from the floor for 49 percent, while UTM shot 24-56 for 43 percent.
  • UTM had the slight edge behind the arc, going 11-30 for 37 percent to UNA's 9-28 for 32 percent.
  • Both teams made 10 free throws — UNA on 13 tries and UTM on 15.
  • UNA had a distinct 31-10 advantage in points off turnovers. UTM had 18 turnovers while UNA had just 10.
  • Both teams had 36 rebounds, but UNA won the paint 38-26 in scoring.
  • UNA once again controlled the pace on fast breaks, outscoring UTM 15-5.
  • Both teams had 14 assists.
  • For the third straight game, UNA led for over 30 minutes. Overall, the Lions have led for over 106 of the 120 minutes played this season.
  • UNA leads the all-time series 30-23. However, this is UNA's first win over UTM since 1991 — as the series went on hiatus for over 30 years before last season's double overtime game. 
  • Lane has had 48 career games in double figures, including two games this season with over 20 points.
  • Lane and Ortiz are both on 1,000 point watch at UNA. Lane has 949 career points after tonight, while Ortiz, who scored seven tonight, has 1,180 career points with 948 at UNA. 
  • 6 – This is the number of free boneless wings that fans can retrieve at the Buffalo Wild Wings location in Florence after every UNA win with the purchase of six wings. Fans are encouraged to show their ticket or the social media graphic to retrieve the offer.
  • 80 – Anytime the Lions score 80 or more points, fans who attended the game can go to Rosie's Cantina in Downtown Florence to get a free cup of queso. Fans must show proof of attendance to retrieve.
 
COMING UP NEXT

The Lions will put their 3-0 record to the test against defending Southern Conference champion Samford (1-1) on Friday at 7:45 p.m. inside CB&S Bank Arena. This will close a three-game home stand.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
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