FLORENCE, Ala. (November 6, 2025) – For the first time in 245 days, the Bank is open for business.
The University of North Alabama men's basketball team will welcome Lane College for its 2025 home opener Friday night inside CB&S Bank Arena with tipoff set for 6 p.m. Prior to the game, UNA will unveil a championship banner and will host a ring ceremony for the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship as part of a "Night of Champions" celebration.
The Lions will also honor a former national championship coach and UNA Athletic Hall of Famer — Coach Gary Elliott — with the official naming of Gary Elliott Court. Elliott and the Lions won the 1991 NCAA Division II National Championship.
The game will air on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray, Matt Daniels and sideline reporter
Chase Glover on the call. Bryan Neece will have the local call on
Roar Lions Productions, available on the Varsity Network, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and RoarLions.com free of charge.
Tickets are available by calling 256-765-5466 (LION) or by visiting
this link.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the game, as parking is limited due to ongoing construction. As such, the lot near the Hal Self Athletic Annex will be unavailable. Violators will be towed if parked in the construction zone.
Lots A and B will be in the parking lot directly below Flowers Hall. Lot A pass holders will have coned off spots near the staircase. Shuttles will be available to take fans up to the field house lot for entry into CB&S Bank Arena.
Lot C parking will be in the parking lot below the Mitchell Burford Science and Technology Building. Residential Students will have access into Lot C with their hang tags. The public can also park in this lot for $12.
Limited handicap parking will be available in front of the CB&S Bank Arena ticket office.
GAME INFORMATION
Game: North Alabama vs. Lane College
Date: Friday, November 7
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Florence, Alabama
Venue: CB&S Bank Arena
Capacity: 3,000
Promotions: Night of Champions
Watch:
ESPN+ ("Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray, Matt Daniels,
Chase Glover)
Radio:
Varsity Network & Roar Lions Productions (Bryan Neece)
Live Stats:
StatBroadcast
Tickets:
Click Here
Social Media:
@UNA_Basketball
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: The Lions opened the 2025-26 regular season on Wednesday against Mississippi State, leading by as many as nine points in the second half before falling 86-62 in Starkville. Junior guard
Canin Jefferson led the way with 16 points, as he and true freshman
Braylon Patton combined for seven triples and 27 total points. The 11 points by Patton are the most by a UNA true freshman in a college debut since
Jacari Lane scored 11 against Oakwood in 2022.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA returns 10 players from last season while adding two junior college transfers and a pair of true freshmen. The Lions are led by one returning starter — redshirt junior forward
Corneilous Williams — who averaged 9.7 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game last season to lead the ASUN in rebounding. Wiliams had 13 rebounds in his season debut at Mississippi State. This marks UNA's eighth season at the Division I level, all coached by
Tony Pujol.
SCOUTING THE DRAGONS: The Dragons compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Lane finished 7-19 last season and is on the hunt for its first winning season since 2022-23. Senior guard Elijah Greer Dawson led the way last season with 16.2 PPG as a junior. The head coach is Harold Rayford, entering his second season.
SERIES HISTORY: UNA has an 11-5 all-time record against Lane College, including a 9-3 record inside CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall. The 14th-largest margin of victory in school history came against Lane in 1990 with UNA winning 122-80. That was the first all-time meeting between the two schools. The last time UNA hosted Lane College was in 2016, as the Dragons stole an 82-78 win from the Lions. This will be the first time Lane has faced a team coached by
Tony Pujol.
DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Making his first collegiate appearance off the bench, true freshman
Braylon Patton went 3-3 behind the arc and finished with 11 points against Mississippi State. Patton had the highest-scoring debut by a true freshman for UNA since
Jacari Lane scored 11 points against Oakwood in 2022.
HIS TIME TO SHINE: Making his first collegiate start, junior point guard
Canin Jefferson led the way with 16 points on 4-9 shooting behind the arc. He's played in 53 career games so far.
BLOCK PARTY: UNA finished with eight blocks at State on Wednesday. The eight blocks are the third-most in a game at the Division I level — since 2018. The all-time record remains 11 blocks, set last season against Austin Peay in an 88-84 overtime win on Jan. 25, 2025. The four blocks for Williams were two shy of his own Division I school record set against Austin Peay last season. All four blocks came in the first half.
PRESEASON HYPE: The Lions were picked first in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll and second in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll last month. UNA was also the only team to have more than one player on the all-conference preseason team, as both
Corneilous Williams and
Donte Bacchus were voted. Williams was one of two unanimous picks along with ASUN Preseason Player of the Year Chris Ashby from Queens.
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 enters his eighth season at the helm and has 102 wins over the first seven seasons.
ON DECK: The Lions face an exciting week ahead with home matchups against Northwestern State on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. and ETSU on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
