JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (November 30, 2025) – The University of North Alabama men's basketball team rekindles a classic in-state rivalry Monday night, starting a four-game December road swing against Jacksonville State.
Tipoff from Pete Mathews Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. in Jacksonville, Ala.
The game will be available on
ESPN+ with former Alabama Football radio voice Eli Gold and Mickey Shadrix on the call.
Fans can also catch the local call with "Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray on Roar Lions Productions — available on Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, Twitch, RoarLions.com and the Varsity Network app. The countdown show begins at 5:40 p.m. To find your preferred listening method,
click here.
Tickets are available
here or by calling the Jax State Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499.
GAME INFORMATION
Game: North Alabama vs. Jacksonville State
Date: Monday, December 1
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Alabama
Venue: Pete Mathews Coliseum
Capacity: 3,500
Watch:
ESPN+ (Eli Gold, Mickey Shadrix)
Radio:
Roar Lions Productions ("Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray)
Live Stats:
StatBroadcast
Tickets:
Click Here
Game Notes:
Click Here
Social Media:
@UNA_Basketball
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama had an early Thanksgiving feast last Tuesday in Florence, defeating the UT Southern Firehawks by a 92-60 final inside CB&S Bank Arena. The Lions are now 5-0 in home games before Thanksgiving under head coach
Tony Pujol. The win also smothered a potential win streak over Division I opponents for the Firehawks, who previously defeated Samford in 2022 and Tennessee Tech in 2023. UNA is now 22-0 against non-Division I teams since 2018.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: The Lions enter with a 3-4 record with all three wins coming at home. UNA is averaging 74.7 points per game with four starters averaging double digits. Leading that charge is sophomore
Kevin de Kovachich, who has scored in double figures in all seven games to start the season. He leads the team with 14.4 points per game, while
Corneilous Williams averages 13.3 PPG and 10.4 rebounds per game to rank among the national leaders.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Jacksonville State has a 3-3 record that includes wins over Oakwood and Reinhardt and a notable win over Coastal Carolina. The Gamecocks will look to break a three-game skid this week that includes losses to South Alabama, Arkansas State and North Dakota State. Jax State has been limited below 70 points in the last three games but rank 12th in the nation in scoring defense with just 61.7 PPG allowed. Senior guard Mostapha El Moutaouakkil leads the way with 19.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Ray Harper is in his 10th season at Jax State and his 26th overall with 603 career wins.
SERIES HISTORY: This will mark the 89th meeting between UNA and JSU since 1950. The Gamecocks have a 57-41 advantage in that span. There are also incomplete records that date back to 1931 that have UNA facing Jacksonville State under Coach Eddie Flowers — the namesake for Flowers Hall where CB&S Arena resides. There are believed to be over 100 meetings in the all-time series.
FREQUENT OPPONENTS: Outside of West Alabama, Jacksonville State is the most-played rival in North Alabama's storied men's basketball history. The Lions and Tigers have played 135 times. Behind JSU is Delta State with 89 meetings, Lipscomb with 83 meetings and Troy with 82 meetings.
LAST TIME WAS A THRILLER: The last time UNA played Jacksonville State was two seasons ago inside CB&S Bank Arena. Senior guard
KJ Johnson was the hero for UNA, making the go-ahead basket with 1.9 seconds left to win 61-59. The game included 13 lead changes and 15 ties, including the Lions and Gamecocks trading the lead eight times in the final six minutes of the game. Johnson had 14 of his 23 points in the final 4:31 of the game
FIRST VISIT TO THE PETE SINCE 2022: UNA's last visit to Pete Mathews Coliseum was a memorable one, as the Lions defeated the Gamecocks 66-62 to open ASUN play on Dec. 30, 2022. The two teams traded runs in the first half. Jacksonville State missed its first 13 shots from the floor as the Lions opened the game on a 15-0 run. A three-point basket by current sixth-year senior
Dallas Howell gave UNA the 15-0 lead and prompted a Gamecocks timeout with exactly 15 minutes remaining in the half. JSU closed the gap to a single possession in the final seconds.
Damian Forrest, however, hit a free throw with 8.2 seconds remaining and the Gamecocks ran out of time.
THRILL NEIL: Redshirt junior
Corneilous Williams is among the nation's leaders in rebounding with 10.4 RPG. This total ranks 10th in the country and first in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Williams is also 17th in the conference with 13.3 PPG and fourth with 1.4 blocks per game.
REBOUNDING WATCH: Williams will battle one of the top rebounding teams in the country on Monday, as Jacksonville State ranks 11th in the NCAA with 44.6 rebounds per game and 27th with a 10.8 rebound margin.
KEV'S TURN: Sophomore
Kevin de Kovachich leads the Lions with 14.4 PPG and is shooting over 50 percent from the floor for his young career — 61-119 for 51.3 percent. He is also 21-46 behind the arc, including 13-31 this season. In just seven games, de Kovachich has already matched his free throw shooting total from last season over 22 games — 16-21 for 76 percent.
POINTS OFF THE BENCH: UNA totaled just 44 bench points in the first four games of the season, as all five starters averaged over 31 minutes per game and at one point were all averaging double figure scoring totals. In the last three games against Clemson, Chattanooga and UT Southern, the Lions have totaled 67 bench points, including 22 at Clemson and 32 against UT Southern. Sophomore
DarKaun King had a career-high eight points last time out and has seen an uptick in minutes.
BAMA BALL: The state of Alabama produced some of the best basketball in the nation last season with both UNA and JSU making appearances in the NIT. Of the 10 Division I schools in the state, eight were ranked top three in their conferences and in the top 125 of the net. This includes Alabama and Auburn from the SEC, UAB from the American, Troy and South Alabama from the Sun Belt, Jax State from Conference USA, North Alabama from the ASUN and Samford from the SoCon. One of the others was Alabama State, who made the NCAA Tournament. The other is Alabama A&M, who is currently receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 this season.
LOCKED IN: Back in August, UNA Director of Athletics
Dr. Josh Looney announced a new five-year contract for head men's basketball coach
Tony Pujol on Monday, extending him through the 2029-30 season. Pujol was hired on April 2, 2018 and has been the program's only coach during the Division I era. He is in his eighth season at the helm and has 105 wins.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
