CHARLOTTE, N.C. (January 29, 2025) – Two Atlantic Sun Conference contenders duked it out in North Carolina on Wednesday, as North Alabama battled Queens on the road with hopes of joining the tie atop the conference standings. The Royals had different plans, earning a hard-fought 75-67 win over the Lions in Charlotte.
With the win, Queens (13-9, 6-3 ASUN) snapped a three-game losing skid after opening with a 5-0 record. This was a tall task, as UNA (14-8, 6-3 ASUN) entered on a three-game win streak following a pair of wins over Lipscomb and Austin Peay.
UNA and Queens are now tied for fourth in the league standings, but are one game back of leaders FGCU and Jacksonville at 7-2. Lipscomb is only a half-game ahead of UNA and Queens at 6-2 and will play EKU tomorrow night.
UNA fell behind early in the first half, but never trailed by more than eight and eventually pulled to a three-point deficit at the break. A battle of the defenses continued into the second half, but Queens eventually pulled to a 10 point lead. UNA cut it to two possessions multiple times, but could not get any closer.
Despite the loss, junior guard
Jacari Lane accomplished an individual milestone with a game-high 22 points. Lane moved up three spots on the all-time career scoring list into a tie for eighth with UNA Hall of Famer Doug Key (1962-65) at 1,254 career points. He entered the game in 11th place and reached the top 10 in the first half.
Senior
Taye Fields added his sixth double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Fellow seniors
Will Soucie and
Daniel Ortiz had 10 points each. Soucie is now eight away from his 1,000th career point.
Queens had five players in double figures. The bench was crucial in the scoring with 37 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half: Defense was prevalent in the first half for both teams, as Queens held a 31-28 edge. Both teams shot just below 40 percent with UNA going 11-28 for 39 percent and Queens shooting 10-27 for 37 percent. Queens led most of the way, though the Lions never trailed by more than seven.
Jacari Lane led the Lions with 11 points, moving into ninth place on the all-time scoring list in the first half. The two sides combined for 13 first half turnovers — seven from UNA.
Second Half: The Lions stumbled out of the gate in the second half and Queens retained the lead the rest of the way — though UNA made it tight. The defense continued working for UNA, but a cold streak behind the arc hurt the offense. The Lions missed their first 10 three-point attempts and finished 2-12. The two makes came in the final two minutes, pulling UNA back within two possessions each time. Queens did enough to overcome those threats.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Queens shot 22-53 for 41.5 percent, while UNA shot 21-57 for 36.8 percent.
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Both teams shot roughly 28 percent behind the arc. UNA made 7-25, while Queens was 6-21.
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The turnover and rebound battles were nearly even. Queens won both categories 11-10 and 40-35, respectively.
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Queens improves to 2-1 in the all-time series. The home team has won each of the last three seasons.
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Entering tonight, the winning team in the series averages 98.0 PPG. Tonight's winning team scored just 75.
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UNA is now 3-1 in Wednesday games. All three wins were in non-conference play.
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UNA is 0-6 when scoring under 70 points and 2-7 when allowing over 70 points.
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions are home Saturday against Central Arkansas. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. In between the women's game and men's game on Saturday, UNA will honor legendary coaches Bobby Wallace and Mike Lane and their field-namings at Bank Independent Stadium.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
