FLORENCE, Ala. (March 6, 2025) – The journey continues.
For the first time since 2021 — and for the second time ever — North Alabama is among the final two teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Basketball Championship. This comes courtesy of a 78-63 win over No.4 seed Jacksonville on Thursday inside CB&S Bank Arena in Florence.
With the win, No. 2 seed UNA (24-9) advances to the ASUN title game on Sunday at 1 p.m. against top-seeded Lipscomb. The game will be played inside Allen Arena in Nashville and will air nationally on ESPN2.
Sunday marks UNA's first time playing in a championship game with March Madness hopes on the line. In 2021, UNA was not eligible for the NCAA Tournament due to its Division I transition period but still played for the title and fell 79-75 to Liberty.
UNA is in the third year of full Division I status and can punch its ticket with a win on Sunday. The Lions seek their seventh conference championship and their first at the Division I level. UNA won championships in the Gulf South Conference in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1994, 1996 and 2014.
In a gritty defensive battle, five Lions emerged with double figure scoring totals. Junior guard Jacari Lane was the leader once again with 19 points, going 5-12 from the floor and 8-10 from the line. Senior Daniel Ortiz added 18 points with four triples. Fifth-year senior Will Soucie did most of the early work with 12 points.
UNA's rebound getters were also crucial in the win, as redshirt sophomore Corneilous Williams posted his second-straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Taye Fields added 10 points and nine boards despite second half foul trouble.
Despite a second half surge from Jacksonville (19-13), the Lions held tough and limited the Dolphins to just five points in the final six minutes. UNA scored 18 in that stretch, mainly on clutch free throws.
CB&S Bank Arena sold out for the second straight postseason game with 3,000 fans, including a large wave of students that waited outside the arena for multiple hours. The Lion faithful were wearing black in support of UNA's "Black Out."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half: JU's Kendall Munson had the first score of the game, momentarily quieting the crowd. This did not last long, as the Lions proceeded on an 11-0 run to reignite the fans. The Dolphins later made it tied again at 11 before a breakaway dunk by Fields. He went on to a personal 6-0 run. Scoring was at a premium the rest of the half, as UNA took a 35-23 lead into the locker room.
Second Half: UNA maintained a double digit lead until the midway point of the second half, as JU used scores from top players Stephon Payne III and Robert McCray V to cut it to 52-47 at the 9:20 mark. Soucie had perhaps the most impactful shot of the game with 6:38 to go, doubling the lead with a three-pointer to make it 60-54. The Lions never went back to a one-possession game, outscoring JU 18-9 the rest of the way.
COMING UP NEXT
The No. 2 Lions will battle the No. 1 Bisons on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Allen Arena on ESPN2. The winner will earn the automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 16.
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