CB&S BANK ARENA AT FLOWERS HALL
Over the last 48 seasons, the University of North Alabama basketball program has reached heights that seemed impossible in the early years of the program.
Winning the NCAA Division II National championships in 1979 and 1991 and reaching the Final Four on three other occasions, Lion basketball teams have made an impact on a regional and national level.
One key factor in that success has been Flowers Hall, a modern facility opened in 1972 that has been the scene of 502 UNA wins and only 177 defeats over four decades.
That 74.3 winning percentage at home helped bring the UNA program from the middle of the pack in the Gulf South Conference to an anual role as a contender for league honors and the NCAA tournament.
The basketball banner that hangs above the court gives testimony to the success that has come to the UNA program. The Lions were able to add their most recent notation after the 2013-14 season by winning the Gulf South Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA South Regional.
The first basketball game in Flowers Hall was on Oct. 5, 1972, when the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks battled in an exhibition game before a crowd that overflowed the 4,000-seat capacity of the new facility.
UNA’s initial game against St. Bernard College ended in defeat on Nov. 18, but few opposing teams since have left Flowers Hall triumphant. In 1977 UNA posted a perfect 16-0 record at home and the 1984 Lions went 19-1 in Flowers Hall en route to a third place national finish.
On six occasions UNA has been chosen as the host for NCAA regional and quarterfinal tournaments in men’s basketball and the Lions have responded with a perfect 9-0 home court mark in NCAA play. Flowers Hall has also hosted the Alabama/Mississippi High School All-Star Basketball Game on odd numbered years since 1991.
In 1985 the original synthetic floor was relaced with a new synthetic floor. Also, in that same year a new four-sided scoreboard was added to enhance the Lion’s home court. In 1989 new theater seating was installed on the home side for season-ticket holders.
In 1994 a new maple wood floor was installed into the “Big Yellow Ice Box.” In 2004 that floor was replaced, as were the scoreboards and scorers tables that had been used in Flowers Hall for years. This year will feature the new three-point line that was moved back for men’s play. The most noticable renovation came in the summer of 2004 when a new maple wood floor was installed, along with new scoreboards. More recently, the flooring was altered in the summer of 2008 to adjust the three- points lines to meet new NCAA rules. The men’s line was pushed back, but the women shot from the same three-point arc. In 2009, new additions to the scoreboards allowed fans to keep track of individual points, assists, steals and blocks.
The flooring was sanded and repainted in 2013, adding the new UNA athletic logo at center court. The old three-point line used for women’s games (prior to 2011) and high school games was also removed.
The transition into NCAA Division I and the ASUN Conference prior to the 2018-19 season saw Flowers Hall get a complete $2.2 million makeover. The wood flooring was completely replaced. All seating was also removed. Wooden bleachers were replaced with plastic purple seating on the North, South and West upstairs areas. All lower-area seating was replaced with purple chairbacks. New video scoring tables were added, along with a pair of 18’x10’ video boards as the arena was updated to host future ESPN broadcasts. Upstairs seating on the East side was also removed to make from for the Steve and Sheila Pierce Hospitality Suite, which features a 2,400 sq. ft. common area that overlooks the court and two rows of box seats for donors, special guests and VIPs.
FLOWERS HALL RECORDS
TEAM
Most Points: 128 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (26) on Nov. 7 2019
Most Rebounds: 68 vs. Lane College on Nov. 30, 1994
FG Attempts: 94 vs. Alabama-Birmingham on Jan. 16, 1979
FG Made: 51 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg on Nov. 7 2019 (attempted 79)
FT Attempts: 48 vs. Lane on Jan. 15, 1997 (made 25)
FT Made: 33 vs. Belmont on Dec. 12, 1992 (attempted 47)
Largest Margin of Victory: 102 - UNA 128, Virginia-Lynchburg 26 on Nov. 7, 2019
INDIVIDUAL
Most Points: 43 by Wanda Beckham vs. Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 1, 1978 (17 FG, 9 FT)
Most Points in Half: 28 by Jennifer Towne vs. UAH on Jan. 25, 2014
Most Rebounds: 25 by Deborah Carlisle vs. Freed-Hardeman on Nov. 22, 1982
FG Attempts: 30 by Wanda Beckham vs. Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 1, 1978
FG Made: 17 by Wanda Beckham vs. Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 1, 1978
FT Attempts: 18 by Jameica York vs. West Georgia on Feb. 26, 2008
FT Made: 14 by LaConger Pegues vs. Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 6, 1995;
14 by Jameica York vs. West Georgia on Feb. 26, 2008;
14 by Lauren Faris vs. Blue Mountain on Nov. 26, 2013
