CONWAY, Ark. (February 11, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team heads to Arkansas for its next outing on Wednesday, opening the week versus the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in Conway, Ark.
North Alabama is set to continue Atlantic Sun Conference action on the road, with the Lions facing the second-place Sugar Bears. UNA's trip to Conway begins the second half of a four-game road slate after going 1-1 in the first two road games versus North Florida and Jacksonville. With the Lions still looking to secure a postseason berth, North Alabama faces a potential opponent in 2025 ASUN Tournament with the Sugar Bears already clinching a spot in the tournament.
The game will serve as part of a two-game week for the Lions with the road slate ending Saturday at West Georgia.
Tipoff from the Farris Center is set for 6:30 p.m. The matchup will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and live stats are provided courtesy of SIDEARM.
The game will also air on WLX Radio with Grant Wakefield on commentary. Fans can listen on 98.3 or 103.5 FM in the Shoals or worldwide on the WLX App or website. The "Countdown to Tipoff" radio show begins at 6:10 p.m.
Box scores and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can follow along in real time on the North Alabama Women's Basketball social media pages.
GAME INFO
Date: Wednesday, February 12
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Conway, Ark.
Venue: Farris Center
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WLX 98.3 / 103.5 FM (Grant Wakefield)
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
Social Media: @UNAwbb
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama Women's Basketball faced North Florida and Jacksonville in the Sunshine State last week. The Lions opened the week with a 73-68 victory over the Ospreys but capped the weekend with a 78-61 setback against the Dolphins.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama knows how to go into halftime with plenty of momentum, leading opponents in scoring during the second quarter this season 426-379. In ASUN play, UNA has held scoring advantages in what is widely considered the most important period — the fourth quarter. North Alabama leads ASUN opponents, 233-217.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Central Arkansas enters with a 17-6 record overall and 11-1 in the ASUN, already having clinched a berth in the 2025 ASUN Tournament. Last time out, Central Arkansas went 2-0 on the road with victories against Jacksonville and North Florida. The Sugar Bears extended their win streak to 10 games with the two wins. UCA was voted second in both the ASUN Media and Coaches Preseason Polls, currently entering the contest second in the ASUN standings behind FGCU. The Sugar Bears are led by second-year head coach, Tony Kemper.
SERIES HISTORY: The Sugar Bears lead the series, 9-4. UNA looks for its first win over Central Arkansas since February 21, 2023, with the Sugar Bears taking all three matchups during the 2023-24 season.
BOUND FOR REBOUNDS: The Lions are first in the Atlantic Sun Conference in total rebounds, averaging 39.8 per game. North Alabama is also first in defensive rebounds (27.7 per game) and second in rebounding margin (+5.2). UNA's effort on the glass is also among the top 50 teams nationally, ranking 41st in defensive rebounds and 51st in rebounds per game. India Howard (7.0 per game), Jazzy Klinge (6.0) and Alyssa Clutter (5.3) all rank in the top 25 in ASUN rebounding.
THE SECOND UNIT: The Lions enter the week as one of the best teams in scoring from the second unit. North Alabama is ranked first in the conference in bench points per game, averaging 25.7 across 23 games. UNA is also ranked just outside the top 25 in the NCAA, ranking 26th nationally in bench scoring.
THE BLOCK LIST: Two Lions rank among the top shot blockers in India Howard and Jazzy Klinge. Howard (1.4 per game) is tied for third in the league, with Klinge (0.5) tied for 17th.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: North Alabama has had two players finish with double-doubles on the season in Howard and Clutter. Howard has four on the season, recently adding two more against Stetson and North Florida. The junior averaged 10 points and 14 rebounds in the two games against the Hatters and Ospreys. Clutter has two on the season with a 14-point, 11-rebound outing at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 17 points and 17 rebounds at Bellarmine.
CHARITY'S CASE: Charity Gallegos leads North Alabama in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per game to rank tied for sixth in the ASUN. Gallegos has also been the primary playmaker for the Lions, averaging the fourth-most assists in the ASUN with 3.9 per game. She was named the ASUN Conference's Player and Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 30, 2024 after a 25-7-7 stat line against Bethel. Gallegos earned her 1,500th career point in the Lions' home win versus Queens on Jan. 30.
HOWARD HOLDS IT DOWN: India Howard has had a knack for blocking shots, enforcing her defensive presence with 31 blocks in 22 games. She's currently tied for third in the ASUN in the category with 1.4 blocks per game. Howard is also just inside the top 10 in rebounds in the conference, tied for ninth with 7.0 per game.
SUPER CAM: Cameron Jones is having a career year in her third season, with the Broadview Heights, Ohio native averaging a career-high 7.6 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Jones has set multiple single-game career highs on the season, including a 17-point performance against Denver and nine rebounds against both Nebraska and Bellarmine.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
