FLORENCE, Ala. (November 15, 2025) – A home winning streak that spanned exactly a year came to an end for the University of North Alabama men's basketball team, as the Lions fell on the wrong end of a second half comeback against ETSU inside CB&S Bank Arena — 78-74.
In the first of two games for UNA in the ASUN/SoCon Scheduling Alliance, the Lions (2-2) jumped out to a commanding 46-31 lead at halftime. However, the Bucs (3-1) slowly chipped away and took the lead with 1:39 remaining.
Down 76-74, UNA head coach
Tony Pujol called timeout following a score by senior forward
Donte Bacchus with 44 seconds on the clock. ETSU used most of the shot clock before a steal by Bacchus with 12 seconds left.
The Lions got the ball exactly where they wanted it — in the paint to redshirt junior
Corneilous Williams — but a no-call on a contested shot under the basket with two seconds left allowed ETSU's Jaylen Smith to rebound and ice the game.
For the Lions, this ends a 16-game winning streak at home. This ranked as the fifth-longest in the country behind St. Thomas, Duke, Akron and Miami (OH). ETSU is notorious for ending streaks like this, as the Bucs ended Samford's 28-game home winning streak in January of last season, which was the second-longest at the time.
Both teams shot similarly from the field and from the floor, as ETSU had a slight advantage in volume. The Lions made up for that with 81.0 shooting from the free throw line, going 17-21. ETSU went just 8-14 for 57.1 percent.
The true difference came in the second half, as the ETSU defense dialed up the pressure and scored 21 points off 14 UNA turnovers. Despite the loss, UNA led for over 35 minutes. ETSU only led for the first minute-and-a-half and the final minute-and-a-half.
Sixth-year senior
Dallas Howell made his first three triples of the game and ended with a career-high 19 points on 5-8 shooting from downtown. Howell added four assists for a team-high. Bacchus also had 19 points and six rebounds.
Guard duo
Canin Jefferson and
Kevin de Kovachich combined for 27 points, including 15 from Jefferson. Jefferson went 6-6 from the line, while de Kovachich played 38 minutes and went 3-8 from behind the arc.
Redshirt junior
Corneilous Williams rounded out the starters with seven points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He's had double-digit rebound totals in each of the last five games, including the NIT against Bradley last season and all four games this season.
Smith led ETSU with 14 points, while Brian Taylor had the go-ahead three-pointer and finished with 11 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half: The game started back-and-forth with a 7-5 lead for ETSU in the first three minutes or so. With 17:02 on the clock, Bacchus tied the game with a layup and sparked a 12-0 run to make it 17-7 over the next three minutes. UNA maintained a single-digit lead from there until the final two minutes, as another 8-0 run by the Lions made it 43-28 with 33 seconds left. The Bucs had a three-pointer from Brayden Crump with seven seconds to go, but Jefferson got the last word with a three at the buzzer to end it at 46-31. Howell, Jefferson and Bacchus each had 11 points, including three straight triples by Howell to open the contest.
Second Half: The Bucs dialed up the pressure in hopes of a comeback, dwindling the UNA lead to 55-45 by the halfway point of the second half. The next two minutes saw ETSU go on an 8-0 run to make it 57-53 with 8:15 remaining. UNA led by as many as three possessions shortly after, but with the help of timely turnovers into points, the Bucs hung around and eventually got it to 72-71 with 2:20 left. The Lions lost the lead at the 1:39 mark, but pulled back within two with 44 seconds left. The Lions got a much-needed stop by Bacchus and set up the offense, getting the ball in the paint. Williams drew contact under the basket on a would-be game-tying shot, but missed with no whistle. Smith made both free throws at the other end to seal an 18-point comeback.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The Lions fall to 33-5 in non-conference home games under Tony Pujol. This is just the fifth time a team has defeated UNA at home in the last eight seasons.
- The Lions' last home loss came on Nov. 15, 2024 against Samford in overtime. This ended 365 straight days without a home loss for UNA. Both losses came to teams from the Southern Conference.
- UNA shot 9-22 behind the arc for 41 percent. This marks the most triples for UNA in a game since the ASUN Quarterfinal win over Austin Peay last season — a 90-64 final.
- There were only four lead changes with three before the first media timeout.
- The Bucs had a 21-10 advantage in points off turnovers, but UNA countered with a 15-5 advantage in second chance points. The Lions won the boards 39-30.
- 60 — Any time the Lions score 60 or more points, fans can head to Culver's on Cloverdale Road to retrieve a free single scoop of custard by using the online code "CUSTARD4LIONS" as part of the "Swish for a Dish" promotion.
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions have a quick turnaround with a trip to Clemson on the docket for Monday. Tipoff from Littlejohn Coliseum is set for 8 p.m. CT. The game will air nationally on ACC Network.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
