FLORENCE, Ala. (January 16, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team earned its eighth win of the season and third in Atlantic Conference play Thursday night, taking care of the Stetson Hatters by a 75-57 final in CB&S Bank Arena.

North Alabama (8-8, 3-2 ASUN) returned "The Bank" after its lone road bout to EKU, looking to return to the win column after two-straight defeats in conference play. The Lions responded with a sound win against Stetson (9-8, 3-2 ASUN) to rise above .500 in ASUN play.

UNA started the home bout with a good start in the opening quarter, using solid shooting and defense to jump out to a 16-10 lead. Stetson found its mark in the following quarter, scoring 24 points in the second to head into halftime with a 34-31 advantage.

The Lions used the third quarter to shift the momentum back in their favor, outscoring the Hatters 20-9 to retake the lead. The fourth quarter saw UNA continue with its hot scoring, following with a 24-point fourth quarter to clinch the home win in Florence.

Juniors Alyssa Clutter and India Howard led the way for the Lions, as Clutter finished with a game-high 21 points. Howard secured her third season double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds.

For Clutter, the performance marked her highest scoring output of the season and first time scoring 20 points this season. It also marked only her second time scoring 20 points in her UNA career, with the first being her career-high 23-point outing at Bellarmine on Jan. 18, 2024.

Howard becomes UNA's leader in double-doubles this season and also finishes with her highest rebounding outing as a Lion. The 17 rebounds were the highest total for North Alabama since the 2021-22 season, when Skyler Gill corralled 17 boards twice against Bellarmine and Stetson.

Senior Charity Gallegos and sophomore Katie Criswell also finished in double-digit scoring with a respective 13 and 11 points. Gallegos responded with her 13th double-digit scoring game, while Criswell secured her fourth.

Gallegos led in assists with six, and junior Rhema Pegues registered a team-high two steals on the defensive end. Howard's presence was additionally shown on defense, securing the game-high two blocks.


HOW IT HAPPENED


FIRST QUARTER: UNA 16, STET 10

A quick start by the Lions led to an early first-quarter lead against the Hatters. It was a defensive battle to start, with UNA taking the early 5-0 lead before Stetson scored its first point at the 5:56 mark. Both teams would trade two baskets each before a 7-4 run by North Alabama secures the six-point lead heading into the second quarter. Katie Criswell led all scorers with a sensational start, giving the Lions momentum offensively with eight first-quarter points.

SECOND QUARTER: STET 34, UNA 31

Stetson had a strong second quarter and took the lead into halftime. The Hatters improved from 22.2 percent shooting from the opening quarter to a solid 47.4 percent from the field. With the Lions leading 23-14, Stetson went on a 11-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 25-23. The two teams remained close as the quarter ended, but the Hatters entered the halftime break with the narrow lead.

THIRD QUARTER: UNA 51, STET 43

It was all UNA to start the second half, as a 20-point quarter gave the Lions the lead — and they never looked back. Shooting at a steady 45 percent from the field, North Alabama made its mark in the paint with 14 of its 20 points coming from the paint. UNA quickly gained the lead back with a 5-2 run within the first two minutes, but the Lions continued the momentum shift after a Stetson timeout with a responding 8-2 run. The teams would trade baskets to end the quarter, but not before taking an eight-point lead into the final period. The third quarter was dominated by the tandem of Gallegos and Clutter, who contributed a respective eight and seven points.

FOURTH QUARTER: UNA 75, STET 57

The momentum shift in the third quarter gave way to an even stronger fourth, with the Lions having their best offensive period to close out the home dual. North Alabama shot an efficient 62.5 percent from the field, also going 3-5 from behind the arc to finish 60 percent for the quarter. Stetson's rally attempt cut the lead to as low as seven points, but a responding 13-2 run from the Lions proved the difference in an 18-point win. Eight players scored for UNA in the final period.


UP NEXT

North Alabama has its second game of the two-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 18, taking on North Florida in CB&S Bank Arena at 6 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.