FLORENCE, Ala. (December 17, 2024) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team was narrowly defeated Tuesday night inside CB&S Bank Arena, dropping an 80-77 result to the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.
North Alabama (4-5) had a second-half comeback fall short against Alabama A&M (6-3), with the Lions and Bulldogs battling for all four quarters. UNA gained the early advantage with an 18-13 first-quarter lead, battling Alabama A&M to a stalemate in the second en route to a 44-39 halftime lead.
The Bulldog's offense came alive in the third quarter, outscoring the Lions 22-15 to enter the fourth with the 61-59 advantage with 10 minutes to go. The score remained close as the final period was dominated by 29 combined free throws, but the Bulldogs would fend off the UNA rally to win for the second time in two seasons against the Lions.
It was a balanced effort in the scoring department, with four Lions securing double digits led by senior Charity Gallegos and junior Emma Kate Tittle. The two had 13 points apiece, while juniors Sarang West and Alyssa Clutter contributed 10 points apiece.
Gallegos was the game leader with nine assists, falling one short of tying her career high. She was also the team leader with three steals and one block. It was all hands-on deck in rebounding with Gallegos, West, and juniors Jazzy Klinge and India Howard all tying the team high with five rebounds. West secured a career high in total rebounds on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER: UNA 18, AAMU 13
Defense was the focal point for the Lions to start, with the Lions holding the Bulldogs to 21.1 percent shooting for the early lead. North Alabama forced Alabama A&M into shooting 4-19 from the field and 1-6 from three, while also forcing four turnovers to set the tone. Freshman Chrishunti Walker made it a mission to start strong, leading all scorers with six first quarter points.
SECOND QUARTER: UNA 44, AAMU 39
Both offenses combined for 52 second-quarter points in the high-scoring period, but the Lions still maintained the momentum with a five-point advantage at halftime. North Alabama had its most efficient scoring period in the second, hitting 64.3 percent from the floor (9-14) while going 3-6 from the three-point line. UNA also had a fast start to the quarter, going on a 10-6 run in the first three minutes to extend the lead to nine. Alabama A&M answered back with a responding 13-4 run to tie the quarter, with both teams going back and forth until the final 45 seconds. A technical free-throw for UNA led to a quarter-ending 7-2 run, sending the Lions to the second half. Ten Lions scored in the period, with Clutter, Gallegos and West leading the way with a combined 22 points.
THIRD QUARTER: AAMU 61, UNA 59
Alabama A&M had a strong second-half start to set up a decisive fourth quarter in CB&S Bank Arena. Early in the third, it was North Alabama maintaining momentum from the first half by extending its lead up to 54-42 at the 6:54 mark. Alabama A&M chipped away at the deficit and outscored North Alabama 10-2 in the final four minutes, eventually taking the lead.
FOURTH QUARTER: AAMU 80, UNA 77
Free throws dominated the fourth quarter, with both teams combining for more shots at the charity stripe (29) than attempted field goals (23). The matchup still was a competitive bout until the end, with UNA needing to overcome the second-half surge of Alabama A&M. The Bulldog's offense continue to put up points in the fourth quarter, building the lead up to 10 with UNA down 71-61 at the 4:43 mark. The Lions chipped away and made things interesting in the final minute. Trailing by eight points with 51 seconds remaining, the Lions showed fight by scoring nine points in the final minute. However, the Bulldogs knocked down four free throws in the waning seconds to fend off North Alabama, running down the clock to secure the road victory.
UP NEXT
North Alabama embarks on a road trip to Colorado next time out, facing the Denver Pioneers on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. CT.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
