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FLORENCE – Trailing by seven points with 2:39 remaining,
things looked bleak for the 19th-ranked North Alabama men’s
basketball team. The Lions, however, ended the game with a 12-0 run
to defeat West Georgia 69-64 Tuesday at home and put an exclamation
point on its Gulf South Conference East Division championship.
Two free throws
by Casey Holt and a layup by Kenny Johnson pulled UNA to 61-64
before a three-pointer by Quinn Beckwith tied the game for the 12th
time with 1:44 remaining. After a defensive stop, Beckwith then gave
the Lions the lead for good by converting a three-point play with a
basket and free throw in the final 30 seconds.
The Wolves had
one last chance, but a missed jumper by Terrence Hundley was turned
into an ally-oop dunk from Beckwith to Isaac Gay, sending the
Flowers Hall crowd of 1,684 into its biggest frenzy of the season.
Although the
Lions (23-7 overall, 10-2 GSC) did not need the win after already
clinching the division’s top seed in the upcoming conference
tournament, it did provide momentum heading into the post-season
with a No. 1 ranking in the South Region and a berth in the NCAA
Division II Tournament on the horizon. UNA will enter the
post-season on an eight-game winning streak, with its last loss
coming on Jan. 26 against UAH.
UNA will open
play in the GSC tourney on Friday night at the DeSoto Civic Center
in Southaven, Miss. The Lions will play the winner between the West
Division’s fourth-seeded and the East No. 5 team, which will be
played the previous Wednesday.
Against the
Wolves, Beckwith scored 19 points to lead four UNA players in double
digits. Johnson added 17 on the night, while Gay had 12 and Thomas
Fraise tossed in 11 for the Lions. West Georgia (15-11, 6-5) was led
by Henrick Foster’s game-high 21-point effort. UWG will also advance
to the conference tournament.
West Georgia
led 35-32 at the half and dominated the boards all night, claiming a
48-35 rebounding edge. The Wolves, however, hit just 1-of-17
three-point baskets, including an 0-for-12 showing in the first
half.
UNA countered
with a 14-of-14 performance at the free throw line and hit 41 of its
shots from the floor.
Printable Game Statistics -
West Georgia |
