fields
Drew Barton
79
Jacksonville JVille 16-10,10-4 ASUN
92
Winner North Ala. UNA 19-8,11-3 ASUN
Jacksonville JVille
16-10,10-4 ASUN
79
Final
92
North Ala. UNA
19-8,11-3 ASUN
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Jacksonville JVille 35 44 79
North Ala. UNA 44 48 92

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Lions win first place slugfest with Jacksonville, 92-79

UNA hands Dolphins first ASUN road loss and set new Division I school record for wins

FLORENCE, Ala. (February 15, 2025) – First place belongs to the team in Florence.
 
Two of the three teams tied for first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference rumbled inside CB&S Bank Arena on Saturday, as North Alabama thrived on a raucous home court advantage and won 92-79 over Jacksonville.
 
Today's win had significance in multiple ways. UNA improved to 19-8 overall and 11-3 in conference play, marking the most wins in both categories since moving up to Division I in 2018. This marks the most wins since 2013-14 when UNA finished 23-10, won the Gulf South Conference and appeared in an NCAA Division II Regional.
 
The Lions are tied with Lipscomb atop the conference, while Jacksonville dips to 16-10 overall and 10-4 in ASUN play — one game back of the leaders.
 
Today also marks the first road loss for Jacksonville in ASUN play, who was previously 6-0 with wins over Bellarmine, Austin Peay, West Georgia, Queens, Stetson and Central Arkansas. JU had not lost a road game since December 21, 2024 at UCF.
 
This evens the season series with Jacksonville, who beat the Lions 64-60 at home in January. The second game of the series was much more high-octane, as the Lions became the first ASUN team to post 92 points on JU this season. The only other teams to do this are SEC opponent Georgia with 102 and SoCon opponent Mercer with 90 in overtime.
 
Junior Jacari Lane and senior Taye Fields — former high school teammates reunited as college teammates — combined for 46 points in the win. Lane scored 25 with 7-20 shooting from the floor and 10-12 shooting at the line. Fields went 8-11 and added a three-pointer on his lone attempt. The pair combined for 13 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and zero turnovers.
 
Junior Donte Bacchus was instrumental off the bench, scoring 16 points with 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. His first came against EKU on January 4. Redshirt sophomore Corneilous Williams added 10 points and eight rebounds, while senior Daniel Ortiz scored 11.
 
Jacksonville was led by Kendall Munson, despite fouling out, with 18 points over 31 minutes. Robert McCray added 17 points and seven assists.
 
The Lions ride a five-game win streak, outscoring opponents by an average of 84-68 in that span. Five Lions are averaging double figures over those five games.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Half: Jacksonville broke a 159 minute lead streak for UNA with the first score of the game, but Ortiz put the Lions back on top in the first 1:16 of the game. Lane had the go-ahead score with 13:07 left in the first half to make it 15-14. Fields was the key player in the first half with 14 points, while Lane played all 20 minutes and added 11 points. Despite scoring just one point, Williams had the top plus-minus rating of the half at +11. He and Bacchus had six first half rebounds. Sophomore Canin Jefferson ended the half with a thrilling buzzer beating three to make it 44-35.
 
Second Half: Jacksonville cut the lead to three on two occasions early in the second half, including a 47-44 deficit at the 15:52 mark, but UNA provided answers each time. Jefferson aided that effort with a fastbreak triple to make it 57-47 midway into the second frame. Williams, Fields, Lane and Bacchus electrified the final moments game in their own ways, including an alley-oop from Fields to Williams, Bacchus completing the double-double and Lane's efficiency at the line.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • UNA shot at a high clip, going 32-59 for 54 percent. JU went 30-62 for 48 percent.
  • Both teams were even behind the arc, as UNA went 6-12 and JU went 10-20.
  • The Lions went to the line numerous times and stayed out of foul trouble, shooting 22-30 on free throws. JU went just 9-14.
  • UNA, led by the top two rebounders in the ASUN and two that emerged with big games on Saturday, won the battle of the boards 39-28.
  • UNA won the turnover battle 11-7, including three steals by Fields.
  • Tonight was the 10th straight game where UNA had at least four players in double figures, including five players in the last two games.
  • UNA outscored JU in the paint 42-34.
  • The two-game season series ends with 20 lead changes — the most for UNA against any opponent this season. The first game included 17, while today included three. 
  • 6 - This is the number of free boneless wings that fans can retrieve at the Buffalo Wild Wings location in Florence after every UNA win with the purchase of six wings. Fans are encouraged to show their ticket or the social media graphic to retrieve the offer.
  • 80 - Anytime the Lions score 80 or more points, fans who attended the game can go to Rosie's Cantina in Downtown Florence to get a free cup of queso. Fans must show proof of attendance to retrieve.
  • 60 -  Anytime 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 close a three-game home stand on Tuesday, Feb. 18 inside CB&S Bank Arena against West Georgia. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
 
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