RICHMOND, Ky. (February 21, 2023) – There are three men's basketball games remaining in the regular season for University of North Alabama, as the Lions begin a three-game road stretch on Thursday at Eastern Kentucky University. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.
 
UNA has won six of the last eight games and will chance to clinch an automatic berth into the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Tournament with a win. Meanwhile, EKU has already clinched with a league-best 10-2 record and controls its own destiny for a regular season championship.
 
Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen to the local broadcast with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray on WLX Radio via 98.3 or 103.5 FM or worldwide on the app or online. Live stats and ticket links are available at RoarLions.com.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game: North Alabama at EKU
Date: Thursday, February 22
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Richmond, Kentucky
Venue: Baptist Health Arena at Alumni Coliseum
Capacity: 6,500
TV: ESPN+
Radio: WLX 98.3 / 103.5 FM — "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click here
Game Notes: Click Here
Social Media: @UNA_Basketball
 
NOTES
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA is 13-14 overall and 7-6 in ASUN play, holding sole possession of sixth place in the ASUN standings. The Lions average 76.9 points per game and are on pace to set a new single-season team high in scoring since moving to Division I in 2018. The backcourt duo of sophomore Jacari Lane and senior KJ Johnson average just under 30 PPG combined.
 
SCOUTING THE COLONELS: EKU started slow in non-conference play but has hit its stride since with a 15-11 overall record and 10-2 record in league play. The Colonels are one game ahead of Stetson in first place and average 81.7 PPG as a team. EKU ranks among the nation's leaders in blocks and rebounding, ranking fifth with 6.0 blocks per game and 15th with 40.4 rebounds per game. ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Cozart leads the nation with 92 blocks for 3.68 blocks per game while also leading the team in scoring at 15.6 PPG.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday will be the sixth meeting, as EKU leads the series 3-2. All five previous meetings took place within the last three seasons, as two of the five required overtime and another was decided by one point. EKU won the last two meetings in the ASUN tournament last season and the first regular season meeting this season. UNA won the last regular season game in Richmond by a 98-93 final in overtime.
 
SHOOT IT WELL: UNA has a 7-1 record when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor and 4-1 when scoring over 90 points.
 
YOU GET ONE AND YOU GET ONE: Six different UNA players have recorded their career-highs in a major category against EKU, including 31 points scored by KJ Johnson in last season's overtime win in Richmond. Other career-highs against EKU include 14 rebounds by Dallas Howell, five blocks by Damian Forrest, six rebounds by Eoin Nelson, four steals by Jacari Lane and two blocks by Detalian Brown.
 
LIFE IN 4K: UNA has four players with over 1,000 career points on its roster, including KJ Johnson, Marco Foster, Tim Smith Jr and Damian Forrest. The latter three each achieved the feat this season, with Forrest doing it the most recently against Morehead State.
 
CAREER GUYS: Fourth-year junior Will Soucie is three-games away from breaking the school record for Division I games played set by Jamari Blackmon in 2022. Soucie has 111 all-time appearances, while his teammate Detalian Brown is one game behind at 110 games. Dallas Howell ranks fourth in UNA Division I history with 90 appearances, while Damian Forrest is tied for fifth all-time at 87 games.
 
NO LEAD IS SAFE: Since conference play started in January, UNA has experienced 65 lead changes over 13 games to average five lead changes per game. UNA has also had four games where one of the teams led by double-digits and lost, including two comeback wins over Kennesaw State and Stetson.
 
ON THE HORIZON: The Lions head to Bellarmine on Saturday and wrap up the regular season next Friday, March 1 at Central Arkansas.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.