FLORENCE, Ala. (January 10, 2024) – Atlantic Sun Conference play continues inside CB&S Bank Arena this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. as North Alabama Women's Basketball welcomes Austin Peay for a home matchup inside CB&S Bank Arena in Florence, Ala.
UNA looks to return to the win column after dropping its first ASUN Conference game at home to Central Arkansas, 83-62. The contest proved tight early on with the Lions trailing by six at the halfway mark, 39-33, but UCA pulled away in the second half. A bright spot in the defeat, sophomore guard Alyssa Clutter secured her second career double-double with a team-leading 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lions and Governors meet for the first of two regular season games this season in ASUN play. North Alabama makes the return trip to Clarksville, Tenn. in UNA's second-to-last conference game on Feb. 24.
Thursday's game is "Swiftie Night" and will include Taylor Swift-themed promotions throughout the evening.
Premium Seating at CB&S Bank Arena is sold out for the year, but general admission season tickets and single game tickets are still available. For ticket information, contact bbond@una.edu, call 256-765-5466 or visit online at this link.
Parking is available to the general public along the streets of Circular Road and Stewart Avenue, as well as the parking lot in front of Rice and Rivers Hall and the parking garage. Lots A, B and C at the Bill Jones Athletic Complex and below the arena are reserved parking spaces. There is also paid parking below the Science Building off Circular Road.
MATCHUP
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay
Thursday, January 11, 2024
5:30 p.m.
Game Notes | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Watch
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA comes into the game with a 4-10 record seeking win No. 1 in ASUN play and in 2024. Always a threat to score, North Alabama ranks third in the ASUN with 70.4 points per game. UNA also rank among the top three ASUN teams in free throw percentage (77.8 percent/first), three-point percentage (33.1 percent/second) and team assists (14.57 per game/third).
SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS: Austin Peay owns a 9-7 record on the season, posting a 6-4 record at home, 1-2 record on the road and a 2-1 record in neutral location games. The Govs are perfect in ASUN play so far with wins over Bellarmine (65-63) and EKU (62-52). The leading scorer is graduate center Shamarre Hale, who has 12.0 PPG to round out the top 10 scorers in the conference. Head Coach Brittany Young leads the Govs in her third season with the team.
SERIES HISTORY: The Lions and Governors have played each other five times with Austin Peay leading the series, 3-2. Both UNA wins came in the early 1980s, while Austin Peay's three wins have occurred in each of the last three seasons. UNA is 1-2 when playing the Govs at home, but the Lions will look to earn their first win against Austin Peay since the 1983-1984 season. In the last meeting on Jan.21, 2023, North Alabama fought back from an eight-point first quarter deficit but fell 61-52 in Florence.
BIG GAMES AT THE BANK: CB&S Bank Arena has been home to four career-setting games so far this season, with the performances coming in consecutive fashion. Senior guard Alexis Callins, sophomore guard Alyssa Clutter and freshman guard Veronaye Charlton have each had their own shining moments on the court, dropping career numbers in the previous four home games. Callins scored a career-high 27 points against UT Martin, while Clutter registered her first two career double-doubles against Fisk and Central Arkansas. Charlton had her highest-scoring home game against Tennessee Tech, scoring 25 against the Golden Eagles to surpass her previous career high of 21 against UTEP.
NO PRESSURE: Free throws may be free, but North Alabama has made teams pay from the charity stipe this season. Not only do the Lions lead the ASUN in free-throw percentage, but they also among the top-20 teams in the nation. The team's 78.2 percent average checks in 19th in the country, which puts UNA in similar company with No. 8 Stanford, No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 15 Louisville, No. 16 Gonzaga, No. 21 Florida State and No. 22 Creighton. The current average would break North Alabama's Division I record by 3.3 percent if the season ended today and would be the most since 2008-09, when the UNA shot 81.5 percent as a team.
CALLINS CAN SCORE (A LOT): Callins' 16.5 PPG ranks fourth in the ASUN and would mark a new Division I high at UNA for individual season scoring average. Callins' mark would also be the highest since Emma Wallen in 2017-2018 with 18.3 PPG.
CLUTTER TROUBLE: Clutter is making strides in her second season in the program, registering her second career double-double against Central Arkansas on Jan. 6. The Washington, Penn. native finished with a team-high 13 points and 10 rebounds in UNA's first ASUN game of the year. Clutter also tallied three assists in 25 minutes of action. Clutter, who had a double-double against Fisk earlier this season, ranks fourth in the ASUN with 32.6 minutes per game. EKU's Ivy Turner is the league leader at 33.6 minutes per game.
CHARLTON KEEPS IT COOL: Charlton continues to make an impact in her first season at UNA. Charlton brings energy whenever she touches the court, but her calling card is remaining cool, calm and collected from the charity stripe. She checks in at 87.2 percent from the line, leading the ASUN and ranking 39th nationally.
DROPPING DIMES: Senior guard Sara Wohlgemuth is in the ASUN lead and ranks 41st nationally with 5.3 assists per game. She is also second in the ASUN with a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
