STARKVILLE, Miss. (November 2, 2026) – The University of North Alabama women's basketball team travels to Starkville, Miss. for a bout with the SEC Bulldogs of Mississippi State on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in Humphrey Coliseum.
Live stats will be available at RoarLions.com via StatBroadcast. The game will be broadcast and streamed via SEC Network+.
Grant Wakefield will have you covered on Roar Lions Productions for the hometown call.
MATCHUP
North Alabama at Mississippi State
Tuesday, November 3
6:30 p.m.
Starkville, Miss. – Humphrey Coliseum
Live Stats |
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NOTES
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama and Mississippi State have played three times dating back to 1978 under UNA Hall of Fame coach Gary Elliot. The pair of programs played twice in the 1978-79 season, the inaugural game being in Florence. North Alabama remains winless through three games against the now-SEC power Mississippi State. Outside of the 1978-79 season, the pair met one other time in 2022.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Mississippi State finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-13 record and made the SEC Tournament before dropping an 86-68 decision at the hands of the Florida Gators. MSU finished 5-11 in conference play but were tough to beat on its home court with a 13-5 record. The Bulldogs did not drop their first home game until No. 20 Tennessee came to town on Jan. 8 by a score of 90-80. Mississippi State forward Madison Francis was named to the Preseason Second Team All-SEC and earned a spot on the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Watch List. MSU was picked to finish ninth in the SEC Preseason Polls by a vote of the league's 16 head coaches.
ABOUT LAST SEASON: Last season, the Lions finished 17-14 overall with an 11-7 Atlantic Sun Conference record in 2025-26. UNA made it to the ASUN Tournament Quarterfinal round where the team fell to No. 3 Central Arkansas in Jacksonville, Fla. at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena to complete the season. North Alabama had memorable moments last season such as the four-overtime thriller against West Georgia on senior night and
Alexsandra Alvarado pouring on 37 points against Jacksonville in Florida for the fourth-most points in a single game by a Lion all-time. UNA finished sixth overall in conference rankings to close last season.
SEC! SEC! SEC!: North Alabama begins its season in Mississippi with SEC Powers, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Later in the month of November, the team battles Vanderbilt in Tennessee to conclude the three SEC games on the schedule. This is the first time in school history that the women's program has played three SEC schools in the same season. The Lions played two SEC schools last season and in 2023-24.
HEAD BALL COACH: On March 26, UNA Director of Athletics
Dr. Josh Looney officially named Anna Nimz the 10th head coach of the North Alabama women's basketball program. Nimz takes the helm after a remarkable six-year turnaround at Northwestern State. Beginning in 2020, she took what once was a one-win team and turned it into a Southland Conference contender. Under her leadership, Northwestern State matched or increased its win total all six seasons. The 18 wins this past season were the program's most in 10 years, while the 14 conference wins were the most in 22 years. Entering her UNA tenure, Nimz has 192 wins as a head coach, leading the programs at Kilgore College and Labette Community College prior to Northwestern State.
ALL-UAC NOD: Transfer forward
Brynn Lusby was named to the All-UAC Preseason Team — one of 11 players to receive the nod. Three players from Abilene Christian, the preseason favorites, were chosen including UAC Preseason Player of the Year in Payton Hull. Alongside the coaches' poll rankings being released, the Lions were awarded their first preseason conference selection since
Skyler Gill in 2022-23. Lusby was the sixth conference preseason selection since 2018 joining Gill, Olivia Noah, Brittany Panetti and Ivy Wallen on two separate occasions. Lusby, a first-year transfer from Incarnate Word, appeared in 62 total games with nine starts during her two seasons in Texas.
THE CAPTAINS: With a slew of transfer and a new identity for this North Alabama team, head coach Anna Nimz named forward
Amy Kurkowski, guard
Joceline Geara and guard Ella Maclead as team captains ahead of the 2026-27 season. Kurkowski spent two seasons at Saint Mary's while Macleod spent two years at Collin College. Geara is the lone transfer familiar with Nimz as she was the only player that was brought to Florence from Northwestern State.
NEXT GAME: After battling the Bulldogs, the Lions stay in Mississippi for another SEC matchup against Ole Miss on Thursday night in Oxford at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
