FLORENCE, Ala. (November 2, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team faces the UT Martin Skyhawks on Monday in the 2025-26 season opener from CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall.
The new campaign begins for the Lions, who opens against the Skyhawks for the second time in as many seasons. Monday will mark 239 days since North Alabama was last in action.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and Bryan Neece on the call and Chase Glover as the courtside reporter. The game will also air on radio through the Varsity Network with AJ Good on commentary. The "Countdown to Tipoff" radio show begins at 5:40 p.m.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along in real time on the UNA Women's Basketball social media pages.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the game, as parking is limited due to ongoing construction. As such, the lot near the Hal Self Athletic Annex will be unavailable. Violators will be towed if parked in the construction zone.
Lots A and B will be in the parking lot directly below Flowers Hall. Lot A pass holders will have coned off spots near the staircase. Shuttles will be available to take fans up to the field house lot for entry into CB&S Bank Arena.
Lot C parking will be in the parking lot below the Mitchell Burford Science and Technology Building. Residential Students will have access into Lot C with their hang tags. The public can also park in this lot for $12. Parking at the Bill Jones athletic complex will be unavailable. However, this lot is available as a drop off area near the arena.
Limited handicap parking will be available in front of the CB&S Bank Arena ticket office.
GAME INFO
Game: North Alabama vs. UT Martin
Date: Monday, November 3
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Florence, Ala.
Venue: CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall
Watch: ESPN+ ("Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray, Bryan Neece and Chase Glover)
Radio: Roar Lions Productions (AJ Good)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Social Media: @UNAwbb
NOTES
SEASONS GREETINGS: This will mark UNA's second season under head coach Candi Whitaker. In year one, Whitaker led the Lions to 13 wins along with a berth in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship tournament. The season also saw UNA take home four weekly conference honors and three individual postseason honors under Whitaker's tutelage.
FIRST DAY FUN: North Alabama looks to secure its fifth-straight win in a season opener. Last season, UNA defeated UT Martin on the road, 66-63, in Coach Whitaker's debut at the helm. It followed previous opening-day victories against Tennessee Southern (2023), Christian Brothers (2022) and Blackburn College (2021). North Alabama is 6-1 in opening-day games since going Division I and has won eight of 10 season openers since the 2015-16 season.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama features seven returning contributors, including four of the top five scorers, as well as the top three rebounders. Three starters return along with six players who were top 10 on the team in minutes played. Three transfers and five freshmen join the team this season.
KATIE GETS BUCKETS: The top returning scorer is junior Katie Criswell, who finished second on the team in 2024-25 with 8.2 points per game on 34.9 percent shooting. Criswell totaled 102 rebounds to finish fourth on the team and broke out with a career-high 21 points against Lipscomb on January 25, 2025.
HOWARD IN THE PAINT: Senior India Howard returns as the rebounding and blocked shots leader from 2024-25. She averaged 8.0 points on 50 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Howard ranked third in the ASUN in blocks and eighth in rebounds. She had five of the Lions' double-doubles on the season, while earning Academic All-ASUN and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections.
TITTLE HITS THE TARGET: Three-point specialist Emma Kate Tittle returns from an injury-shortened 2024-25 after averaging 7.3 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting. The senior hit 34 threes on 41 percent shooting and shot 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.
COUNT ON CLUTTER: Senior Alyssa Clutter heads into the new year after averaging 7.8 points per game on a team-high 55.1 percent shooting. She finished third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game and tallied two of UNA's seven double-doubles in 2024-25 despite appearing in only 21 games due to injury. She set a career high in rebounds and assists against Bellarmine on Jan. 2, 2025, finishing with 17 points, 17 rebounds and five assists.
JAZZY VIBES: Senior Jazzy Klinge averaged 5.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in her first UNA campaign last season. She played in all 30 games and was second on the team in rebounds while finishing 14th in the ASUN. Klinge also provided solid defensive contributions with 0.6 blocks per game, finishing tied for 16th in the conference.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Five freshmen and three transfers look to make their marks this season in a UNA uniform. Graduate Bukky Akinsola, senior Alexsandra Alvarado and junior Cameron McNamara join the Lions in 2025-26 bringing many accolades and experience to the team. The roster also sees freshmen Brooke Hallman, Greta Ramon, Gabby Jackson, Mak Golden and Sofia Gaidukova looking to earn their stripes in their first collegiate campaign.
BET ON BUKKY: Akinsola preps to lead from the guard position as the sole graduate on the team. She comes to the Lions after spending the 2024-25 season at Georgia Southern. She averaged 5.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 33 contests.
THE ALLEY WAY: Alvarado joins after spending the previous four seasons at San Francisco State. The guard comes highly decorated, scoring 1,105 points while at San Francisco State and was an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association Second Team selection in 2024-25.
MAKE WAY FOR MCNAMARA: Rounding out the key transfers, McNamara joins UNA after spending the previous two seasons at Highlands Community College. She scored over 1,000 points while at Highlands and earned First-Team NJCAA All-American honors in 2024-25.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: The Skyhawks finished with a 13-19 overall record and 10-10 record in the Ohio Valley Conference last season. UT Martin secured the sixth seed in the conference tournament, falling to seventh-seeded Western Illinois, 78-72, in the opening round. The Skyhawks return three players from the 2024-25 season, including two of their top five scorers in Kenley McCarn (13.6 PPG) and Norah Clark (4.7 PPG). UT Martin is led by Kevin McMillan in his 16th season.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama holds a 16-5 advantage over UT Martin. The Lions are undefeated against the Skyhawks at home, holding an 11-0 record. UNA has also won eight of the last 10 contests against UT Martin. The last meeting in CB&S Bank Arena resulted in a 70-63 win for UNA on Nov. 21, 2023.
PRESEASON RANKS: The Atlantic Sun Conference announced its 2025 preseason information for women's basketball on Oct. 17, with North Alabama voted sixth in both the media poll and coaches poll. FGCU was voted first in both polls.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
