FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama men's basketball team opened the second half on a 12-0 run to grab a double-digit lead, then held off Samford down the stretch for a 61-55 victory Saturday evening at Flowers Hall. The win in front of 1,016 fans gave the Lions a 2-2 record on the season and avenges a season-opening loss to the Bulldogs a year ago.

Four players reached double digits in scoring for UNA, but it was the defense that kept Samford off balance throughout the game. The Bulldogs had 18 turnovers on the night and shot 39 percent from the floor.

Samford (2-3) got two free throws in the final minute of the first half to take a 25-24 lead into the break. The Bulldogs, however, would not score for the first 4:33 of the second half as UNA made its move.

A three-point basket by C.J. Brim gave North Alabama the lead and started the run in which five different players scored. A basket by Jamari Blackmon at the 17:27 mark gave the Lions a 36-25 lead.

Samford slowly chipped away at the deficit, eventually taking a 48-47 lead on a three-pointer with 5:15 remaining. After a trey by Blackmon and a jumper in the paint by the Bulldogs tied the game at 50-50, UNA regained the lead for good on a basket by Brim with 3:38 to play.

Nursing a one-point lead with 1:37 remaining, UNA scored six straight points to take a 60-53 lead into the final minute of play. Samford had three missed shots and a turnover while the Lions got baskets from Christian Agnew and Peyton Youngblood. Agnew and Blackmon then each hit 1-of-2 free throws to give the Lions the seven-point lead with 22 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs would get no closer than five the rest of the way.

UNA hit 42.1 percent from the floor, but struggled from three-point range against the Samford zone. The Lions made just 4-of-23 long-range shots with Blackmon and Brim hitting two treys each. Both scored 12 points to lead the Lions, with Brim getting 10 points in the second half alone.

Agnew added 11 points while Mervin James also reached double figures with 10 points. Emanuel Littles pulled down 12 rebounds and just missed a double-double with six points on the night.

UNA will travel to South Dakota State on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on the SDSU campus in Brookings, S.D.