OXFORD – Hartselle High School fought through the elimination bracket and beat Athens to force a winner-take-all finale in the AHSAA Class 6A State Softball Tournament that concluded Wednesday at Choccolocco Park.
    The Golden Eagles (29-14) survived, however, scoring eight runs in the fifth inning of the if-necessary game in the double-elimination tournament, and Lily Lowery pitched a complete game in a 12-9 victory over Hartselle in the championship game.
    The victory gives Athens its second title in the last three seasons and sixth in school history, as the Golden Tigers also won fast-pitch titles in 2010 and 2022 and won slow-pitch championships in 1989, 1990 and 1999.

    Athens and Hartselle played three times in the last two days. Athens won 11-1 in Tuesday’s winners bracket championship game, and the Tigers (38-15-1) replied with an 18-8 win that sent the championship round to a second game.
    In the 18-8 win, Hartselle’s Brit Godfrey had four hits and drove in six runs, and K.J. Prather went 5-for-5.  The Tigers had 20 hits against Athens pitcher Lexie Thornton, who pitched the complete game.
    In Athens’ 12-9 championship win, Caitlyn Tedford went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, while Kara Crews and Morgan Stiles drove in two runs apiece. Athens’ Carly Ennis, the tournament MVP, finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and three runs scored.
    Lowery allowed 13 hits and five walks, but earned the pitching win for Athens.
    Hartselle also defeated Gardendale 5-3 in an elimination to start 6A action Wednesday.

  JACKSONVILLE – Bob Jones High School senior shortstop Braden Booth slugged his third home run of the AHSAA Class 7A State Baseball Championship Series in the first inning of the third and final game Wednesday night to snuff out some brief momentum, by Central-Phenix City, and the Red Devils never recovered.
   Booth finished the night with two hits in two official at bats, had two RBIs, walked twice and scored three runs and the Patriots to a 12-5 victory to claim the school’s first-ever state baseball crown.
    Bob Jones won Game 1 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford on Tuesday. With the games moving Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium The first inning of the deciding Game 3 provided plenty of fireworks as Central scored two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead when lead-off batter Emory Yohn opened the game with a single, Landon Beaver reached on an error, and Hunter Wippert singled to plate Yohn. Beaver scored on a sacrifice fly by Sam Brown. The rally was snuffed out when Wippert was tagged out while trying to take third.
    In the bottom of the inning, Booth, who was named the Class 7A State Baseball Championship Series MVP, tied the game with his third homer of the championship series – a towering blow to left that scored that scored Jacob Pearl, who drew a lead-off walk. With two runners on and just one out, CentralCoach A.J. Kehoe switched pitchers bringing in Jordan Balcum. Central got out the inning with an out at third for the inning’s first out, and a double-play to end the inning.
    Bob Jones added a third run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead when Tanner Hermesch walked and scored on a two-out single by  Pearl. The Patriots added four runs in the fourth inning and five in the fifth to build a 12-3 lead.
   Central got two runs back in the top of the seventh but could get no closer.
    Bob Jones (44-9), coached by Jared Smith, had 12 hits in the final game/ Catcher Zack Johnson   had two hits and three RBIs, right fielder Dillon Adkinswas 3-for-3 with one RBI.
    Yohn ad Wippert had two hits each for Central (40-5), coached by AJ Kehoe.  
    Patriots pitcher Jack Shaw pitched six innings, allowed seven hits, four runs but only one earned, and struck out five to get the final win. Adkins came in to close out the game in the seventh.
    Balcum, one of five Central pitchers in the third game, got the loss.
    Central was playing in its third straight 7A state finals. The Red Devils won the title in 2022.
    Classes 2A and 4A opened play Wednesday at Choccolocco Park and will conclude those series at JSU Thursday. Ariton and Mars Hill Bible will begin Game  2 at 10 a.m., and the 4A finals featuring Corner and American Christian will play Game 2 at 4 p.m. Game 3 in each series will follow game two if needed.
   Hartselle and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa open play at Choccolocco Park with Game 1 at 10 a.m. That series will conclude Friday at JSU with the Game set for 10 a.m., and Game 3, if needed to follow.
    All games are being live streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform. Go to  www.nfhsnetwork.com for more information. 
     All AHSAA State Softball Tournament games are also being live streamed over the NFHS Network this week. Championship games are being produced by WOTM TV with Vince Early the executive producer.

 OXFORD – Skyline High School has never won an AHSAA softball state championship, but the Vikings are only one victory away after Tuesday’s action at the 2024 Class 1A state tournament at Choccolocco Park.
    The top-ranked Vikings (32-12) held on for a 4-2 victory over Leroy in the winners bracket final, recording the final out with the tying run at the plate. Skyline led 4-0 after six and half innings before the Bears rallied.

    Skyline’s Brook Cloud drove in two runs and finished 2-for-3 at the plate. The junior singled in the third inning and added a two-run double in the seventh to give Skyline two runs that ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.
    Skyline pitchers Brinna Wilson and Olivia Treece split time in the circle to limit Leroy to two runs off two hits.
    Skyline opened the two-day, double-elimination tournament with a 9-1 victory over Verbena and then earned a 10-0 victory over defending champion Brantley.
    Four teams remain alive – Hackleburg, which eliminated Brantley, as well as Waterloo, Leroy and Skyline. Waterloo and Hackleburg are scheduled to play Wednesday at 10:45 a.m., and the winner plays Leroy. The winner of that game then moves into the championship round against Skyline and must defeat the Vikings twice to win the 1A title.

      The championship round is scheduled to start Wednesday at 5 p.m.

GAME 1: Bob Jones 6, Central-Phenix City 1

    OXFORD  – Senior pitcher Braden Booth fired a complete-game two-hitter Tuesday and struck out seven to lift Bob Jones High School to s 6-1 victory over Central-Phenix City in the first game of the 2024 AHSAA Class 7A State Baseball Championship series.
    He faced just 25 batters and allowed just one lone run in the sixth inning to spoil his shutout effort. The two teams opened the series at Choccolocco Park’s signature baseball field and will resume the best two-of-three series Wednesday afternoon at  Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
    Game two is scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by game three if needed. Sweet Water and Sumiton Christian will play game two of the Class 1A series beginning at 10 a.m., at JSU Wednesday. All games in the AHSAA Baseball Championships are being live streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform and over the AHSAA TV Network’s bank of cable stations.
     The Patriots, coached by Jared Smith, gave Booth all the run support he would need early on. Leadoff hitter Jacob Pearl opened the game with a single, moved to second on a single by Booth and scored on a double play grounder to give Bob Jones a 1-0 lead.
    In the second inning, Reece Cato reached safely on a Red Devils error, Tanner Hermesch doubled him to third, Cam Martin singled to plate Cato. Hermesch was thrown out at home by center fielder Emory Yoh, but Myles Hammonds then stroked a triple to drive in a run.
    Before the rally ended, Bob Jones was in command leading 5-0. In the fourth inning, the Patriots scored again with Hammonds reaching on his second hit of the game and them coming around to score on Gresham Baker’s fielder’s choice.
    Central (39-4), in the 7A state finals for the third straight season, avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Yoh tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice by Landon Beaver.
    Cam Norton started and finished four innings yielding seven hits, walked two and struck out two. He yielded six runs but only two were earned.
   Winning pitcher Luke Shumate hurled a complete game allowing six hits, one earned run, walking two and striking out 10. Sweet Water’s Nate Norris was just as effective giving up only three hits, two earned runs, walking five and striking out four.
     Classes 2A and 4A open those championship series Wednesday at Choccolocco Park. Defending state champion Ariton (28-8-1) faces Mars Hill Bible (26-10) at 11 a.m., in the 2A series and Corner (31-7) takes on American Christian (27-16) at 2 p.m., in the 4A series.

 HUNTSVILLE – Westminster Christian Academy of Huntsville and St. Michael Catholic School of Fairhope met in the AHSAA Class 4A Girls’ State Soccer Championship match for the second year in a row Friday.
    While this year’s finals didn’t wring through two overtimes and a shootout like last year’s championship match, the final result was still the same. Westminster (19-2-1) defeated the Cardinals 3-1 at Loretta P. Spencer Sports Complex at John Hunt Park to claim the Wildcats’ second straight state title.
    Senior AnnaLi Weekley scored the final two goals for the Wildcats, coached by Hunter Chapman, and 4A earned state tourney MVP for the second straight year. St. Michael, coached by Brian Daughtery, jumped out to a very quick lead Friday with Maddie Key drilling goal just 52 seconds into the match to give the Cardinals (18-3) a 1-0 lead.
    Less than four minutes later, Anna Collier tied the match for the Wildcats with a goal set up by a pass from teammate Clara Norris. Weekley then took over. She gave Westminster the lead at 30:54 with an unassisted goal, and she managed the match’s only second-half goal with her final score at 64:26.
    St. Michael goalkeeper Raegan Gregory finished the match with three saves. Westminster keeper Piper Blazer had two saves as the Wildcats limited the Cardinals to just six shots on goal the entire match.
    The championship was the second in school history for Westminster. St. Michael has two state runner-up trophies.
        The 33^rd AHSAA State Soccer Championships close Saturday with championship matches for boys and girls in Classes 6A and 7A. The finals get underway at 9 a.m., with the Class 6A boys’ and Class 7A girls’ finals. The 2024 State Championships conclude with the Class 7A boys’ and Class 6A girls’ finals at 11:30 a.m. All championship matches are being live streamed over the NFHS Network subscriber-based platform. 

Guntersville 1, Southside 0
     HUNTSVILLE – Guntersville High School and Southside High School came very close to finishing their Class 5A State Soccer Championships boys’ semifinal match Wednesday night before storms sent both teams to safe shelter.
    The returned Thursday morning to  finish the final 1:20 of the match – moving to the new Turf Field 4 at Loretta P. Spencer Sports Complex at John Hunt Park with Guntersville clinging to a 1-0 lead.
    A new day meant a new opportunity for Southside – and they came very, very close.
    Still trailing 1-0 with two seconds left Thursday morning, Southside senior midfielder Andrea Favero lined up for a free kick on the north side of the field about 35 yards away from the goal while the other players from both sides gathered in front of the goal.  His only kick on goal for the match was a beauty, sailing directly into the mesh of players just a few yards from its destination. It almost went in.
    The Wildcats (25-3-1) and Panthers (25-3-1) batted the ball around for a few more seconds before it finally slipped just outside the net thanks to goalkeeperSlade Mohr as Guntersville preserved its 1-0 victory.
    Guntersville, coached by Zach Ross, took the lead Wednesday night on goal by sophomore forward Brandon Manganaris, who buried a shot off a save deflection by teammate A.J. Shumate eight minutes into the second half. The two teams then battled scoreless the rest of the night – having to suspend the game with 80 seconds remaining.|
     The Wildcats will be looking to claim their first boys’ state soccer championship Friday morning meeting Gulf Shores, a 2-1 winner over Tallassee in the other 5A semifinal match that finished up Thursday morning. The two teams clash in the Class 5A finals at 9 a.m. All championship matches are being live video streamed over  NFHS Network subscriber-based network.
     Guntersville’s defense limited Southside to only two shots on goals. Mohr managed two saves. Southside limited the Wildcats to only three shots on goal with keeper Hayes Cosby notching two saves.

Westminster Christian 7, Jacksonville 0

     HUNTSVILLE – Defending Class 4A state champion Westminster Christian Academy of Huntsville are heading to the state championship match for the second year in a row.
     The Wildcats (17-2-1) downed Jacksonville 7-0 in the semifinals Wednesday at Loretto P. Spencer Sports Complex at John Hunt Park.
   The victory sends the Wildcats (19-7-3), coached by Hunter Chapman, into the state championship rematch to face St. Michael Catholic of Fairhope. The contest is set for 2 p.m., Friday and will be live video streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform.
    Senior forward AnnaLi Weekley took control early for the Wildcats scoring the first goal just 2:09 into the match with a kick off a rebound from a penalty kick. She added two goals in the second half to finish with a hat trick.
     Senior Jasmine Feld had Westminster’s second goal at 12:03 on an assist from Weekley.
Eighth grader Annie Collier managed the Wildcats’ third goal at 15:05 on an assist from Ella Henshaw. Senior Clara Norris scored the fourth goal of the first half at 35:22. Feld scored five minutes into the second half, then assisted Weekley’s next goal. Norris had the final assist.
    Jacksonville (19-3-2), coached by Kimberly Darby, had only one shot on goal – by Sarah Sloughfy, which was turned away by Westminster keeper Jamiah Maxtion. Jacksonville’s keeper, Kelsie Sigler, an eighth grader, had five saves.
    Westminster won its first girls’ state soccer title last season.

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn (22-24) hits the road for its second to last midweek, finishing up a home-and-home midweek series vs. Georgia Tech (28-17) Tuesday in Atlanta. First pitch at Russ Chandler Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. 

“The character has been good and the leadership has been good, but the performance has not,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “(The character) of our club has been there and the last two weekends you’ve been able to see it through their play and hanging in there. Every coach, every player, everybody is disappointed, but there’s still some resolve and fight in this group and I appreciate that so much out of them.”

The game will be broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network and can be heard locally on Wings 94.3 FM. The contest will also air nationally on ACC Network.     

PROBABLE STARTERS

Tuesday – R-Jr. RHP Joseph Gonzalez (2-1, 9.72) vs. Jr. LHP Camron Hill (3-0, 5.23)

QUICK HITTERS

Auburn is 9-1 in midweek games and has outscored the opponent 85-31.

The Tigers are hitting .301 and have a 3.03 team ERA in midweek contests.

The team has allowed four or fewer runs in nine of 10 midweek games.

Auburn’s 15 hits in the series finale vs. Ole Miss were the second most in a game this season.

Ten different players recorded a hit, including five with multiple hits, in the finale.

The team’s 32 hits and .288 average in the series against the Rebels were the second highest totals in a SEC series this season (38 hits and a .309 average at Texas A&M). 

The win in the series finale marked the 100th career SEC win for head coach Butch Thompson.

It marked Auburn’s second walk-off win this season (Mason Maners homer vs. Austin Peay).

Six of the team’s last eight SEC games and 12 conference games in total have been decided by one or two runs.

The Tigers won a 12-8 game against Georgia Tech on Apr. 16 at Plainsman Park.

Auburn holds a 124-113-6 advantage in the series against Georgia Tech that dates back to 1896 and is 8-7 against the Yellow Jackets under Thompson.

However, Georgia Tech holds a 64-56-2 advantage in games played in Atlanta.

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS

Georgia Tech enters the week with a 28-17 overall record and 12-12 mark in ACC play.

Since the prior meeting on Apr. 16, the Yellow Jackets have won a series at No. 10 Virginia, vs. Miami and won a game at No. 4 Clemson.

Offensively, Georgia Tech is hitting .311 as a team and is led by freshman outfielder Drew Burress with a .368 average, 20 home runs and 56 RBI. 

On the mound, the Yellow Jackets have a 5.98 staff ERA with 407 strikeouts and 184 walks in 385.1 innings.

ATLANTA (May 6, 2024) – The Atlantic Sun Conference released its 2024 softball postseason awards Monday afternoon, as the University of North Alabama had strong representation with five players combining for six selections.

Junior pitcher Alivia Wilken and senior shortstop Haven Kirby headlined the awards for UNA, earning first team honors. True freshman Briley Dover collected both second team and all-freshman honors, while senior outfielder Felicity Frame joined her on the second team.

Rounding out UNA’s postseason selections is junior second baseman Hailey Jones on the all-conference third team. Jones also landed third team honors last season. She and Sidney Bevis were also awarded Academic All-ASUN honors.

The ASUN postseason awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches and includes three all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and five superlative awards.

Regular season champion EKU won four of the five superlative awards, including Maddi Rutan as both the Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, Jeanay Riley as Player of the Year and longtime head coach Jane Worthington as Coach of the Year. Central Arkansas infielder Kylie Griffin was the Defensive Player of the Year.

Wilken and Rutan were the two pitchers on the all-conference first team, as Wilken ended her regular season with a 17-7 record and 1.45 ERA over 174.1 innings. She ranks third in the nation with eight shutouts, including a perfect game in her UNA debut against Samford. In the most recent NCAA stat rankings release May 2, Wilken ranked top 25 in the nation in complete games, ERA, innings pitched, shutouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks-per-seven innings. She was a two-time ASUN Pitcher of the Week this season.

Kirby joins a who’s-who of first team all-conference infielders with her first career selection this season. The senior is batting .314 with 49 hits, including a team-high 23 multi-base hits. She finished with 14 doubles, three triples and six homers to rank among the top ASUN players in each category. She also had a team-high .558 slugging percentage and stole five bags, to boot.

Dover made a splash in her freshman season with a unanimous selection to the all-freshman team and a second team nod from the ASUN head coaches. The former Loretto High School standout batted .315 with 47 hits, eight doubles, a team-high four triples and four homers. She also stole eight bases and tallied a .974 fielding percentage with just four errors on 156 chances at the hot corner.

Frame joins Dover on the all-conference second team following another tremendous season at the plate. She led the Lions and ranked among the conference leaders all season with a .373 batting average, tallying 59 hits and a team-best 32 runs. She got on base at a .412 clip and stole 10 bases on 12 attempts.

Jones rounds out the list with her third team selection. The junior infielder batted .293 for the season, finishing with 48 hits, 13 doubles, two triples and six home runs. Jones ranked second on the team with 33 RBIs and struck out just eight times in 176 at-bats. She was also a preseason all-conference selection this season.

The Lions begin their quest for an ASUN title on Tuesday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. against Austin Peay. The winner will advance to play No. 4 FGCU on Wednesday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. The loser will be eliminated from the tournament. The tournament will be hosted at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.

To view the postseason awards, click here.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Cecil “Hootie” Ingram, a former All-SEC football player and athletics director at Alabama, has died at the age of 90, his family announced Monday.

Ingram was a legendary figure in the state of Alabama and lived in Tuscaloosa for most of his life. A 1991 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Ingram had a long history within athletics at the Capstone as well as the city’s surrounding high schools with a 43-year career that included playing, coaching and administration.

Ingram was born in 1933 at Druid City Hospital and grew up to be a three-sport star at Tuscaloosa High School. He enrolled at the Capstone in 1951 and would end up lettering in both football and baseball for the Crimson Tide (1951-54). A halfback and defensive back who played alongside iconic quarterback Bart Starr, his 1952 sophomore season saw him finish with a nation-leading 10 interceptions, an Alabama program and SEC record that still stands today. On the diamond, Ingram had a passion for the sport and was an All-SEC second baseman for the Tide.

After signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Ingram would retire without having played a game in the NFL to return to Tuscaloosa where he began coaching at area high schools for the next four years. Ingram made the transition to the college game where he coached an additional 12 years that included stops at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Arkansas and Clemson.

Following a playing and coaching career that spanned 20 years, Ingram’s prominence grew as an athletics administrator. He would spend a combined 17 years as an administrator at the Southeastearn Conference (1972-81), serving as associate commissioner, before moving on as the athletics director at Florida State University (1981-89). In 1989, Ingram returned to The University of Alabama as the director of athletics where he served until his retirement in 1995. Soon after being hired as the Alabama AD, Ingram hired Gene Stallings as the new head football coach, who went on to lead the Tide to the 1992 national championship.

In 1991, Ingram was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. In 1992, he was named to UA's "Team of the Century" as the second team defensive back.

In 2007, he was presented with The University of Alabama National Alumni Association’s Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award, recognizing athletes whose accomplishments since leaving the university are “outstanding based on character, contributions to society, professional achievement and service."

– UA –

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (May 6, 2024) – University of North Alabama sophomore Eric Luo closed out the first round of the PGA Works in second place in the Men’s Individual Division, while UNA women's golfer Jahnavi Prakhya looks to the second round in fourth place in the Women’s Individual Division. 

Prakhya's UNA teammate, Allycia Gan, is just outside the top 10 in a tie for 12th place. The event is being played at TPC Sawgrass — home of THE PLAYERS Championship.

The winners of each division are granted an exemption for one event at an amateur PGA event.

Luo entered the final two holes of the event tied for first place before closing out the round in second place with a two-over-par 74. Luo trails the event lead by just two strokes entering the second round. Luo birdied on hold 12 and 14 while also picking up 12 pars on the event.

Prakhya also sits just two strokes behind the tournament leader with a two-over-par 74 after the first round. She picked up a pair of birdies just before the turn to the back nine while earning seven pars on the back nine.

Gan sits eight strokes back of Prakhya with an 82. The Selangor, Malaysia native is tied for 12th place after a third place finish in last year’s event. 

Play continues on Tuesday, May 7 with the second round before concluding on Wednesday, May 8 with the third and final round. All rounds of the event are streamed at PGA.com and the Golf Channel. 

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

...

NASHVILLE – It wasn’t Neville Arena, but it sure felt like it inside Bridgestone Arena on Friday as No. 12 Auburn cruised to an 86-55 victory over No. 15 South Carolina in front of a strong contingent of Auburn fans in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

The 31-point victory was Auburn’s fifth win by at least 30 points this season and one point shy of the program’s largest SEC Tournament win all-time. 

One of those 30-point victories came against this same South Carolina team back in February. The Tigers reached 100 points in that matchup, winning 101-61. In Friday’s rematch, it was the defense that stepped up and made the biggest impact as Auburn held the Gamecocks to just 55 points on 28 percent shooting from the field (16-of-57).

“In yesterday's (SEC Tournament) game, they scored 50 points in the paint. We knew we can't win like that,” Auburn big man Johni Broome said. “Our front line takes pride in our defense. As you can see, on the defensive side, we held our own and stood our ground.”

“We're built a little differently,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “I think Dylan (Cardwell) and Johni, Chaney (Johnson) and J-Will (Jaylin Williams) are all older and they're all bigger, and they're willing to be physical.”

Broome set the tone offensively and defensively for the Tigers. The First Team All-SEC selection finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. It was his 23rd straight game in double figures and his 12th double-double of the season – tops in the conference.

Midway through the second half, Broome showed his range by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers during a 13-4 Auburn run that pushed the lead to 32. 

“Coach (Pearl) always tells us now is the time to go on a run, make shots,” Broome said. “That's how you advance in the tournament, in the NCAA tournament, how you win games. I think everybody has been taking pride in what he said because we went through a little shooting slump mid-season. I just credit all my teammates for being in the gym.

“Like Chaney (Johnson) said, stepping up to the moment when the moment's getting big.”

Johnson stepped up Friday too with 11 points off the bench for the Tigers. It was just the third double-figure scoring game of the season for the UAH transfer who added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in what was his first SEC Tournament game.

Broome, Johnson and K.D. Johnson (10 points) were the only Auburn players to score in double figures against South Carolina, but 11 different players scored in the game.

“If you told me we'd have 10 guys score and that Jaylin Williams would only have three, I may be a little concerned,” Pearl joked after the game. 

“Again, there would be a lot of guys that were Second Team All-Conference and a fifth-year senior that only got two shots, and they'd be all upset in that locker room. You would never know it from Jaylin Williams. He's excited about winning. He doesn't care. He was happy that Chaney Johnson came in there and did what Chaney did.”

With the win, Auburn advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the 14th time in program history and the third time under Pearl (2015, 2019, 2024). The Tigers will play Mississippi State in the first semifinal Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.

SOUTH CAROLINA POSTGAME NOTES

» Auburn won its 25th game of the season with its 79-49 victory over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. With the win, the Tigers advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the 14th time in program history and the third time under head coach Bruce Pearl (2015 and 2019).

» AU’s 25 wins are tied for fifth-most in program history. This season is the fifth time in the last seven seasons Auburn has won at least 25 games. The Tigers won their fourth-straight game after winning their last three games in the regular season, making this the second time this season they have won at least four-straight games over SEC opponents after winning their first five games to open SEC play.

» With the win, Auburn now leads 32-19 in the all-time series against South Carolina. The Tigers have now won eight-straight games over the Gamecocks, the last seven of those by double digits, including a 101-61 victory then No. 11-ranked South Carolina on Feb. 14 at Neville Arena – AU’s largest margin of victory all-time over a ranked opponent. The Tigers are now also 4-1 in SEC Tournament games versus the Gamecocks.

» Head Coach Bruce Pearl is 22-6 against South Carolina including 10-4 at Auburn. He is 3-1 against the Gamecocks in games played at neutral sites including a 73-64 victory in the 2019 SEC Tournament quarterfinals as the Tigers won their first SEC Tournament title since 1985 (second in program history).

» Pearl is 3-0 against second-year Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris including Auburn’s 81-66 at South Carolina last season and the Tigers’ 101-61 victory over the Gamecocks.

» Auburn improves to 31-40 (.437) in the SEC Tournament since its renewal in 1979. Overall, the Tigers are now 35-57 (.380) in the tournament.

» Auburn is now 8-6 in eight SEC Tournament appearances under Coach Pearl.

» The Tigers’ 86-55 win over South Carolina is the team’s fifth win by at least 30 points this season and a team SEC-best 14th win by 20-plus points. The 31-point win was one point shy of Auburn’s largest SEC Tournament win of all-time (93-61 over Alabama in 1999). The Tigers have won their two games against South Carolina this season by an average margin of 35.5 points, after beating the Gamecocks, 101-61 (+40) on Feb. 14 at Neville Arena.

» Auburn led South Carolina, 46-26, at halftime. It was the sixth time this season the Tigers have led by at least 20 points at the half including both games against the Gamecocks after holding a 50-28 halftime lead against them in both teams’ regular-season matchup. The Tigers are 24-1 when leading at halftime this season. They have won 24-straight games when leading at half after a season-opening loss to Baylor.

» Auburn has topped the 80-point mark in both games against South Carolina this season averaging 93.5 points per game against the Gamecocks. It was the only two times South Carolina has allowed 80 points in regulation this season.

» Auburn is 32-64 (.333) all-time when playing in the city of Nashville including 2-0 this season after winning 80-65 at Vanderbilt on Jan. 17. The Tigers are 11-10 in SEC Tournament games in the Music City (19-52 at Vanderbilt, 1-0 vs. Dartmouth, 1-0 vs. Saint Louis, 0-1 vs. Middle Tennessee and 0-1 vs. Western Kentucky in Nashville).

» Coach Pearl is 17-7 in his coaching career at Bridgestone Arena including 8-5 at Auburn. Pearl is 10-6 at the location in the SEC Tournament including 8-4 at Auburn.

» Auburn is 8-10 all-time at Bridgestone Arena including an 8-5 mark under Bruce Pearl. The Tigers are 8-8 in SEC Tournament games in the venue including 8-4 under Pearl.

» Auburn is now 11-10 all-tim in 11 SEC Tournament appearances in the city of Nashville, Tenn.

» Auburn is 15-16 in 17 SEC Tournament appearances in the state of Tennessee. The Tigers are 2-4 in four SEC Tournament appearances in Knoxville, 2-2 in two SEC Tournament appearances in Memphis and 11-10 in 11 SEC Tournament appearances in Nashville.

» Auburn is 4-1 against South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers’ .800 SEC Tournament winning percentage against the Gamecocks is their best against any opponent.

» Auburn committed just five turnovers in its win over South Carolina. It was the 12th time this season the Tigers have committed single-digit turnovers including the sixth time against a SEC opponent. Auburn have averaged just 6.0 turnovers in two wins over South Carolina this season.

» It was also the third time the Tigers have committed no more than five turnovers in a game this season (tied school record with 3 turnovers vs. Indiana and had 5 turnovers vs. Alabama).

» Auburn scored 41 bench points, which was the ninth time this season the Tigers have scored at least 40 bench points including the fourth time against an SEC opponent. AU outscored South Carolina, 80-17, in bench points in two games this season. Eleven players scored for Auburn in Friday’s quarterfinal win.

» Auburn placed three players in double figures in its win over South Carolina led by Johni Broome’s SEC-leading 12th double-double of the season and the 58th of his career with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go with three assists. It was Broome’s 23rd-straight game in double figures during which his is averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds and shooting 53.8 percent from the floor over that period.

» Chaney Johnson came off the bench and scored 11 points on 4-of-8 field goals, including 1-of-1 from deep, and 2-of-2 from the foul line against the Gamecocks. He also added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the win over South Carolina. It was Johnson’s third double-figure scoring game of the season and the 70th of his career including the second time in SEC play this season (16 points at Georgia).

» K.D. Johnson chipped in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor and 2-of-3 from long range to go with a season-high-tying five rebounds and three assists against South Carolina. It was Johnson’s ninth game in double figures this season and the 60th of his career.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 19/19 Alabama men’s basketball team fell to Florida, 102-88, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Friday night in Bridgestone Arena. 

The Crimson Tide (21-11) was led by Mark Sears’ 22 points while Nick Pringle earned his second consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The Gators (23-10) were led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s 23 points including 11-11 shooting from the foul line.

Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments

“This certainly was not the outcome we were expecting or hoping for. You have to give Florida a lot of credit, they played us very well in two games during the regular season. I thought we had a good start to the game, then they adjusted, and we lost the mentality to put them away early.”

TEAM STATS

• The defeat was head coach Nate Oats’ first loss in the city of Nashville since arriving in Tuscaloosa
• Previously, Oats was 6-0 at the SEC Tournament in Nashville and is 4-0 when his teams have played at Vanderbilt
• Nick Pringle collected his second double-double of the season, both coming in each of the Tide’s last two contests
• Alabama is now 6-2 (.750) in SEC Tournament contests under Oats
• The Tide was held to just 24 percent (6-25) from three-point range, making it the sixth time this season, and third time against UF, that’s happened

FIRST HALF

• The Crimson Tide got off to a fast start, scoring the game’s first eight points to force an early Florida timeout at the 18:06 mark
• After trading baskets, the Gators broke the stalemate with a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game at the under four-minute media timeout
• Florida would continue its run by scoring 11 of the next 13 points, making it a 21-2 run that turned a 31-27 Alabama lead into a 48-33 halftime deficit

SECOND HALF

• Florida would extend its lead to as many as 24 points on several occasions
• The Tide made a late push and was able to cut the lead to 12, 96-84, with just under a minute remaining but could not get any closer

UP NEXT

• Alabama will await its NCAA Tournament fate which will be determined on Selection Sunday
• The NCAA Tournament selection show will be televised on CBS beginning at 5 p.m. CT

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

FLORENCE, Ala. (March 11, 2024) – University of North Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney announced Monday that UNA will not renew the contract of head women’s basketball coach Missy Tiber.

“Coach Tiber has left a positive impact on many associated with UNA Women’s Basketball, on and off the court,” said Dr. Looney. “We want to thank Coach Tiber and her staff for the hard work and commitment they have poured into our program, and for the memorable moments they’ve added to our proud history.

“These are extremely difficult decisions, involving good people and dedicated staff members, but I concluded that new energy and a change in approach is necessary to push our program trajectory higher.”

Over 11 seasons at North Alabama, Tiber compiled an overall record of 172-147. She began her stint at UNA in 2013-14 and led the UNA women’s basketball program through the Division I transition.

In the final season of Division II, Tiber’s team finished with a 24-5 record. The following season, UNA made its Division I debut with a 21-9 record and won two games at the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) en route to the semifinal round.

Tiber just completed her 24th season as a head coach and has a career record of 353-302 with previous stops at West Liberty State, Belmont Abbey and Tusculum.

“I’m thankful for my time here at UNA and for those who believed in us,” said Tiber. “It’s been an honor to coach and mentor so many wonderful young ladies. I am thankful for the Shoals community and the many people who I have built lifelong relationships with. UNA will always have a special place in the hearts of Zeke, Lola and I.”

The University, in conjunction with Renaissance Search and Consulting, will immediately begin a national search for the next leader of UNA Women’s Basketball. Assistant coach Josh Ashley will serve as the program’s interim head coach during the search process.

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 14 Auburn split Saturday’s doubleheader vs. UConn, winning game one 8-1 before falling 8-4 in game two at Plainsman Park.

“I thought it was the best game we played all year in the first game,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “It was clean on the mound. Our at-bats were good throughout the ballgame. Defensively we were good. Just all the way around I thought it was our best game.

“Then I thought we followed that up 45 minutes later with our worst half inning that we’ve had all year,” Thompson added. “But we got a bunch of guys in two games, and I thought they kept playing. We chased a non-competitive top of the first the entire ballgame and still had a chance.”

Offensively, Auburn (8-2) continued its season-opening streak of games with a home run with four on the day and has now homered in 10 straight games to start the season. Ike Irish collected a team-high three hits in the doubleheader and reached the 100-hit milestone in just his 68th career game played.

On the mound, Chase Allsup (1-0, 4.50) earned the win in the opening game, throwing a season-high 6.0 innings with a season high six strikeouts. Allsup allowed a run in the first inning of the day but held the Huskies at bay in his final five frames.

“The first couple of innings were sporadic, but I felt like as time went on, I found the slider again and was able to fill up the zone with more than one pitch.”

“I loved how Chase finished the game. I thought he was getting better. I just liked how he finished strong,” Thompson added. “I do want them coming out on the attack, and I thought that’s what Chase did. I thought he settled and we saw some growth with him.”

Seventeen position players and seven pitchers ultimately saw action in a game Saturday.

GAME ONE

The two teams traded runs in the first inning with UConn scoring on a solo homer and Auburn manufacturing a run on a hit batter, walk, double steal and groundout to second. After throwing out a runner at third to end the top of the first, Bobby Peirce got the job done with the RBI groundout in the bottom of the frame.

UConn threatened by putting a runner on third with nobody out in the second, but Allsup buckled down and escaped the inning unscathed with back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout to center. Allsup ultimately allowed just the one run on six hits with two walks and a season-high six strikeouts.

After drawing a walk, stealing two bases and scoring a run in the first, Cooper Weiss hit a solo homer to start the bottom of the third inning and give Auburn the lead. The home run was Weiss’ first in an Auburn uniform.

Two innings later, Wiess also accounted for an Auburn run with a sacrifice fly after Javon Hernandez started the inning with a triple to left center. Later in the frame, Peirce hit a two-run homer off the scoreboard to make it a 5-1 game. The home run was Peirce’s fourth of the season, including his third in the last five games.

Maners hit a two-RBI single back up the middle to extend the lead to six in the eighth, marking his third hit of the game, and Weiss capped off the scoring in the contest with a RBI single to right. 

John Armstrong allowed just two baserunners on a walk and error in the final 3.0 innings and earned the save.

GAME TWO
 

After being held scoreless in the final eight innings of game one, UConn scored six runs on four hits, including a two-run homer, in the first inning of game two. 

Auburn answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Irish’s 100^th career hit was a solo homer to left field to start the scoring. The sophomore joined an elite list of Auburn players by reaching the milestone in just his 68th game played.  After Peirce doubled, Cooper McMurray launched his fourth homer of the season on top of the hitting facility in right field.

The Huskies continued to score in the early going with a run on a RBI single in the second and solo homer in the third, but the Tigers bullpen duo of Christian Herberholz and Tanner Bauman held the visitors scoreless in the fourth through seventh frames with five strikeouts apiece.

Trailing 8-3, Auburn threatened with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but managed just one run on a bases-loaded walk from McMurray in the eighth. Chris Stanfield hit a line drive to third with two outs in the seventh, but it was snared and erased a potential bases-clearing double.

Parker Carlson and Hayden Murphy turned in scoreless innings with a strikeout apiece in the eighth and ninth.

The series finale between the two teams is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.

FRISCO, Texas – Alabama baseball traded blows with Arizona all afternoon on Saturday, with the Tide getting the upper hand for a 7-6 win at Riders Field. The 15^th-ranked Tide is now 11-0 on the year and 2-0 in the Frisco Classic.

Arizona was first on the board on Saturday, putting up a four-spot in the fourth thanks to a pair of two-run homers. The Tide answered immediately with a three-run fifth and tied things up in the sixth thanks to a solo homer from Will Hodo. Alabama then took the lead for the first time with a run in the seventh, but the Wildcats came right back with a two-spot following the seventh inning stretch. The Tide, once again, rallied to retake the lead with a two-run eighth before holding off a late push from Arizona for the 7-6 victory.

The hits for Alabama were spread across the order on Saturday afternoon with seven of the nine starters contributing at least one knock. Hodo and Bryce Eblin each homered with Eblin’s accounting for two runs, the team-high mark for RBI. The Tide second baseman also contributed two runs scored and was matched by Evan Sleight for the team lead in that category.

Reliever Alton Davis II (1-0) picked up the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of work that included one hit, a walk and three strikeouts. He was followed by Matthew Heiberger, with the freshman earning his first career save thanks to a scoreless ninth that included one hit and one strikeout.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

“What a crazy game that was. It was back and forth, but our guys didn’t panic. I talk about it a lot with the team that I want them to expect to have success. We put a lot of emphasis on having shutdown innings and trying to make sure that when we score, they don’t – and vice versa, when we give up runs, we answer. Whether that’s 1, 4, 6 runs, always answering, that’s just what winning baseball looks like. Our guys played a really professional ballgame tonight.”

How It Happened

• B4 | After a leadoff walk, Mason White hit a two-run home run for the Wildcats. Then, with two down, a double followed by a Blake McDonald homer added to the advantage. (4-0, Arizona)
• T5 | Evan Sleight started the Tide rally with a double to left. One out later, Sleight came home thanks to a two-run home run by Bryce Eblin. Justin Lebron followed with a single to left and moved himself into scoring position with a stolen base. He would come home in that same at-bat on an RBI-single from Gage Miller. (4-3, Arizona)
• T6 | Will Hodo sent a 1-2 pitch over the wall in center for a solo homer. (4-4)
• T7 | Eblin led off with a single and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Miller then brought the Tide second baseman in with a liner at the Arizona third baseman that ricocheted into no-man’s land in left. (5-4, Alabama)
• B7 | A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded tied things. One out later, a single deep in the hole at second led to a bang-bang play at first that favored the Wildcats, bringing in the go-ahead run in the process. (6-5, Arizona)
• T8 | Mason Swinney kept the inning alive with a two-out single. Sleight followed with a walk to put two aboard for Guscette, with the catcher sending a ball to third that resulted in an error to bring both runners home. (7-6, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

• Alabama is now 11-0 to start the Rob Vaughn era. The 11-0 mark represents the longest winning streak to start a Crimson Tide head coaching career, surpassing the previous record of 10 by Kid Peeples in 1897.
• The 11-game winning streak also ties for the fourth-best start to any season, tying the 1988 team.
• The UA pitching staff tallied 10 punchouts and has struck out double-digit batters in seven games.
• Alabama’s offense has registered double-digit hits in nine of the 11 games this season.
• With his double in the fourth, TJ McCants extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Over the current stretch, the senior is batting .395 (17-43) with five doubles, one triple, six homers, 19 RBI, 14 runs scored, seven walks, a hit-by-pitch and four stolen bases.
• Gage Miller started his day with a leadoff single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Over the streak, the junior is batting .463 (19-41) with two doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, 18 runs, one walk and three hit-by-pitch.
• Mason Swinney extended his hitting streak to six games. Across the streak, Swinney is batting .429 (9-21) with two doubles, three RBI, seven runs, five walks and a hit-by-pitch.

The Crimson Tide will wrap up the Frisco Classic on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT. Alabama is set to square off with No. 23 Dallas Baptist at Riders Field with the game streaming on D1Baseball.com.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB on X/Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on X/Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.­

FLORENCE, Ala. (March 2, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team split a pair of matches with UAB in a Saturday doubleheader at Mike D. Lane Field in Florence, Ala. Both games were high-scoring affairs, with the Lions coming out on top 9-8 in game one before a 10-8 UAB victory in game two.

The Lions move to 3-7 on the season, while the Blazers exit Saturday’s games at 4-6.

Game 1 — UAB 8, North Alabama 9

UNA opened up the floodgates early in game one. Leadoff hitter Jackson Ferrigno jumped on the first pitch he saw and sent it over the fence to put the Lions up 1-0. Jonathan Lane swiftly followed suit with a double to the right center field gap and following a Gehrig Frei walk, a Kyle Machado double down the line added another to the UNA lead. 

After an error and a groundout pushed across a pair of runners, Dominick McIntyre joined the party, notching an RBI single of his own. Catcher Levi Jensen lasered one down the right field line for his second homer of the season to put UNA up 7-0. Ferrigno tallied his second extra base hit of the inning on a double before a groundout ended the home half. 

Jacob James made his third start of the season and continued to dominate. The southpaw from Loretto, Tenn. struck out nine batters and only allowed three hits across five innings of work. James has now struck out 26 batters on the season and has tallied 204 strikeouts in his career. He became just the fifth player in program history to reach the 200 strikeout mark.

UAB picked up a pair in the fourth and the fifth before Frei scored his second run of the game on a fielder's choice from Knight to push the Lion lead to 8-2. The Blazers rallied from down six in the ninth to tie the game on a Jake Smallwood two-run home run. 

Andrew Knight played hero in the series opener, leading off the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off solo shot for his third home run of the season. 

Game one is the first walk-off victory by a North Alabama team since May 14, 2022 when UNA defeated Bellarmine 5-4 on a game winning single by Devne Daniel.

Pitchers of Record

W – Anthony Pingeton (1-0)

L – Braxton Brooks (1-2)

S – None

Game 2 — UAB 10, North Alabama 8

UAB got out to an early lead in the second game of the day thanks to a wild pitch and two RBI singles, making it 3-0 after the top of the first.

It didn’t take the UNA offense long to respond, after loading the bases twice, a pair of wild pitches made the score 3-2. Lane drove home another runner on a ground ball to short, tying the teams at three-all. 

Knight continued his hot streak, doubling home two more with the bases loaded, putting UNA up 5-3 after two full frames. 

Machado and Knight singled in the fourth inning, followed by a Dominick McIntyre walk to load the bases. Cal Cook brought home Machado and Knight to extend the UNA lead to 7-3.

A pair of singles in the top of the fifth helped the Blazers get one back as UNA starter Jacob Bradshaw would end his day with four and two thirds innings, allowing five hits and four runs. Caleb Menina entered in relief and struck out a UAB pinch hitter to strand two runners. 

Machado — a Preseason All-ASUN selection — pushed the lead back out to four with an RBI double, but a sacrifice fly in the sixth by UAB cut it back to a three-run lead. The Blazers rallied in the seventh to tie the game, scoring three runs on three hits and a pair of walks. 

The Blazers broke through and took the lead in the eighth with two walks, an error and an RBI single from Peyton Puckett. The UAB bullpen held the UNA offense at bay for the final six outs.

Pitchers of Record

W – Brooks House (1-1)

L – Justin Battle (0-1)

S – Christian Clack (1)

COMING UP NEXT

The Lions and Blazers close out the series with a rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mike D. Lane Field.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 10, 2024) – A five-game winning streak came to an end for the University of North Alabama men’s basketball team at Jacksonville on Saturday, as the Dolphins pulled out a tight 67-63 victory over the Lions in Swisher Gymnasium.

Saturday’s task was not an easy one for the Lions, as Jacksonville entered with a 9-1 record at home despite being near the bottom of the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. The Lions, who had won five straight entering Saturday with two of those five on the road, were unable to overcome a late surge in the final 10 minutes of play.

With the loss, UNA drops to 6-5 in ASUN play, while Jacksonville moves back into the mix with a 4-7 record. With five games remaining, both teams remain in play for a spot in the 2024 ASUN Championship Tournament.

Tied at the half, North Alabama came out the aggressors, shooting 4-4 behind the arc to open the second frame. This gave UNA a 45-35 lead at the first media timeout, but Jacksonville went on a run of its own thanks to good defense and rebounding to tie the game back at 47-47. The Dolphins got ahead after that and maintained a one or two possession lead the rest of the way to end UNA’s win streak.

In the last three road games, UNA has played Kennesaw State, North Florida and Jacksonville. Those three teams combined for a 27-3 record before playing UNA, including a combined 20-game win streak. The Lions were able to win two of the three, ending an 11-game streak for KSU and a seven-game streak for North Florida. 

Senior KJ Johnson led the way with 18 points, including a 12-16 showing at the line. Sophomore Jacari Lane, junior Will Soucie and graduate Tim Smith Jr. each had nine points, while junior Dallas Howell added eight. Senior Eoin Nelson came off the bench and added six points over six minutes.

Jacksonville was led by Bryce Workman and Stephon Payne III with a pair of double-doubles, while Robert McCray matched Johnson with a game-high 18 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half: For the first time all season, UNA ended the first half in a tie. Both teams shot between 35-40 percent with 11 field goals en route to a 31-31 tie at the break. The Lions led for most of the first half with nearly 12 minutes ahead, but Jacksonville surged back late to take a 26-23 lead with 5:43 to go. At this point, UNA went on a 6-0 run with two layups from Johnson. Howell ended the half with a basket to tie the game.

Second Half: The Lions opened on fire in the second half with four straight threes, taking their first double-digit lead of the game. Soucie hit three of the four triples in this run, making it 45-35. Jacksonville came back with a 12-2 run to tie it at 47-47, then Gyasi Powell drained the go-ahead three with 9:43 to go to take the lead. UNA stayed within six the rest of the way despite running into foul trouble with Soucie, Smith Jr. and Damian Forrest, pulling within two at the final minute, but Jacksonville retained the lead with timely plays.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

•     UNA shot 19-51 for 37.3 percent, while going 7-19 for 36.8 percent behind the arc.

•     Jacksonville went 22-61 for 36.1 percent, while going just 3-21 from downtown for 14.3 percent.

•     Though UNA made up a lot of difference on three-point shooting, Jacksonville won the boards with a 45-26 advantage and had 21 second-chance points. UNA had 11.

•     There were seven lead changes and eight ties on Saturday.

COMING UP NEXT

UNA returns home to CB&S Bank Arena next week with games against Lipscomb on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. and Austin Peay on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. Saturday’s game is senior night, as the Lions will honor Johnson, Nelson, Forrest and Smith Jr.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 16/16 Alabama men’s basketball team got back to its winning ways Saturday afternoon at LSU, defeating the Tigers 109-92 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. With the win, the Crimson Tide (17-7, 9-2 SEC) completes a season sweep of the Tigers, scoring a combined 218 points in the two victories (won 109-88 on Jan. 27).

Saturday’s contest featured 17 lead changes and six ties, with 15 lead changes and all six ties coming in the opening 20 minutes. LSU (12-11, 4-6 SEC) trailed by double digits early in the second half but clawed its way back to take a 73-72 lead at the 9:32 mark. Alabama responded by going on a 26-9 run over the next 5:29 to take control of the game at 98-82. The Tide would go on to score 60 points after intermission to take the 17-point win.

Five Tide players reached double digits led by Mark Sears, who finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who added 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Nick Pringle (17), Rylan Griffin (16) and Aaron Estrada (15) also reached double figures.

Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments

“This was a big road win and that we needed to get it if we are trying to stay in the hunt and win the league. LSU came ready to go and we had no answer for (Will) Baker in the first half. Then they made their run to take the lead in the second half and we were able to open up a barrage of three’s. We were only able to force 12 turnovers, but we scored on most of them. I thought the job that Nick Pringle did in the second half was really good on Baker. We ended up outrebounding them by 12, which we knew we needed to do playing a small lineup. Latrell (Wrightsell Jr.) had a double-double for the first time this year and he played great. He shot six-of-nine from three and we keep trying to tell him he can't turn down open threes because he shoots it way too well to turn them down. I still think he might’ve turned some open ones down tonight, but he was great, with 10 rebounds. I thought Sears played a great game, he ended up with five assists on only two turnovers, Rylan had six assists and zero turnovers, Latrell had four assists and zero turnovers and Estrada seven assists and one turnover and when you add that up its 22 assists to only three turnovers. That is pretty impressive from those four guards that started. We've been on these guys about rebounding, turnovers and defensive intensity. We’ve got to get our front court a little bit better, I thought our backcourt was pretty good on everything we've been on them about. It’s big to get a win, we haven't played great on the road, and they have played great at home. So, to kind of blow this thing open at the end was big on number fronts.”

TEAM STATS

• It is the seventh 100-point game for the Crimson Tide this season, which is a school record and the second-most in the Southeastern Conference in the last 30 years
• Alabama’s 218 points scored against LSU this season is the most in any two-game stretch against the Tigers in series history. UA also made a combined 33 three-pointers in 78 total attempts (42.3 percent).
• The Tide forced 12 turnovers while only committing eight, however, had a big +17 advantage (23-6) lead in points off turnovers
• The 18 made three-pointers (18-40) were the second-most made in a game by UA this season (had 19 vs. Purdue and Eastern Kentucky)
• Alabama took a season-high 81 shots, marking the second time in the last three contests that the Tide has had 80-or-more shots (83 vs. Mississippi State)
• Nick Pringle scored a season-high 17 points and five rebounds, four of which were on the offensive glass
• Wrightsell drilled six three-pointers, matched a career-best, while his 21 points set a new season-high
• Wrightsell also earned his first double-double of the year

FIRST HALF

• Both offenses were exceptional to start the game, as LSU shot 80 percent (8-10) from the field by the first media timeout led by Will Baker’s nine points and led 18-17
• The game had 10 lead changes and tied twice by the first media timeout
• From the 5:21 mark until the 4:14 mark of the half Alabama went on a 7-0 run to take its first double-digit lead (47-37) of the game
• Alabama scored two points in the final four minutes, going into halftime with a 49-46 lead
• LSU’s Will Baker had 22 points
• Mark Sears and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. led Alabama with 12 points each

SECOND HALF

• Alabama went on a 9-0 run early in the second half to take a 62-51 lead
• LSU went on a 14-3 run to tie the game and eventually take its first lead of the half (73-72) with nine and a half minutes left in the game
• Alabama led 76-75 and would go on a 12-2 run just under two minutes to take a double-digit lead with six and a half minutes left in the contest
• The Tide’s run total of 26-9 turned a one-point deficit into a 16-point lead (98-72) with 4:03 remaining

UP NEXT

• Alabama will have a bye date this week and will return to action next Saturday at home against Texas A&M
• The game is slated for a 11 a.m. CT tipoff at Coleman Coliseum and will air live on ESPN or ESPN2

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chaney Johnson nearly recorded his first double-double but No. 12 Auburn fell behind early and trailed throughout, falling to Florida 81-65 Saturday at Exatech Arena, ending the Tigers’ three-game winning streak.

“Florida played great. They were ready to go,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “They scored every time they touched it in the first half. There were a lot of things we talked about doing that we just did not get done. I think Florida is going to be one of the top five teams in our league. They were very physical.”

Johnson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting.

“Chaney is one of our best athletes,” Pearl said. “Florida was very athletic, bouncy and fresh. They were extremely prepared and ready. We had a really good game plan but we did not execute it.”

Johni Broome scored a team-high 14 points and added seven rebounds. K.D. Johnson scored 12 points and Denver Jones added 10. 

Florida, which had extra time to rest and prepare for Auburn after not playing since last Saturday, scored the game’s first nine points before Broome’s dunk accounted for Auburn’s first points.

“Our guys just were not as locked in nor as aggressive or physical,” Pearl said. “Florida was better than us tonight. Their guards were terrific. As a result, they got the win.”

The Gators used a 10-0 run to build a 17-point lead and led 42-26 at the half.

Auburn committed 15 turnovers while forcing only seven, leading to Florida’s 16-7 edge in points off turnovers. The Gators made 10 steals to Auburn’s one. Florida blocked six shots while Broome’s two blocks were Auburn’s only rejections.

Florida missed its last 14 shots as Auburn trimmed 13 points off a 29-point deficit to close the final margin to 16 points. 

Riley Kugel scored a game-high 22 points for Florida (16-7, 6-4). Fellow guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin scored 20 and 19, respectively.

Auburn (19-5, 8-3) returns to Neville Arena Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CT to host first-place South Carolina on SEC Network.

“We’ve got an opportunity,” Pearl said. “If we think Florida was physical, South Carolina is even more physical.”

FLORIDA POSTGAME NOTES

» Florida and Auburn have now split the last eight games in the series. The Gators lead, 52-29, in games played in Gainesville including 15-straight wins and victories in 20 of the last 21. AU still leads 91-83 in the all-time versus UF.

» Bruce Pearl is 12-13 against Florida during his coaching career including 4-8 at Auburn. Pearl is 3-9 lifetime on the road against the Gators including 0-6 at Auburn. He is now 1-1 against second-year Florida head coach Todd Golden, who served on Pearl’s staff at Auburn for two seasons – as the director of basketball operations for the 2014-15 season and as an assistant coach for the 2015-16 campaign.

» Auburn outscored Florida, 40-38, in the paint. The Tigers have outscored their opponent in the paint in 22-of-24 games this season and were even with St. Bonaventure in paint points in one of the other two games. Mississippi State is the only team to outscore Auburn in the paint this season, doing so 34-20, on Jan. 27.  

» AU also outscored Florida, 31-28, in bench points. The Tigers’ reserves have outscored its opponents’ bench in all but one game this season including the last 17 contests.

» Auburn shot 14-of-26 (53.8%) from the floor in the second half. It was the fourth time the Tigers have shot at least 50 percent for a half over the last four games.

» Auburn placed three players in double figures including 14 points from Johni Broome, 12 points from K.D. Johnson and 10 points from Denver Jones – all in the second half. Broome was 6-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-2 from long range. It was his 15th-straight game in double figures. He is 8-of-16 from 3-point range over the last seven games making a 3-pointer in all seven games. He added seven rebounds, two blocks and an assist on the afternoon. Broome has blocked a shot in 18 of the last 19 games including 15 multi-block games during that stretch. He has now recorded 135 blocked shots in his Auburn career surpassing former Tiger Pat Burke for 10th in program history.

» Johnson scored in double figures for the second time in three games and seventh time this season. It was Johnson’s 58th career game in double figures. He was 4-of-7 from the floor, including one 3-pointer, and grabbed three rebounds at Florida.

» Jones finished 3-of-6 from the floor, 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line against the Gators. He pulled down one rebound on the afternoon. It was his third game in double figures over the last four games and eighth of the season. It was also Jones’ 54th career game scoring in double figures.

» Chaney Johnson recorded SEC season highs with nine points and 10 rebounds at Florida. His previous highs in league play were eight points at Mississippi State and five rebounds against Ole Miss. It was his second game with double-digit rebounds on the season (11 boards vs. SE Louisiana).

» Jaylin Williams played in his 131st career game for the Tigers, tying him with Bryce Brown for second in program history and three games behind Frankie Sullivan’s school record 134 career games.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chaney Johnson nearly recorded his first double-double but No. 12 Auburn fell behind early and trailed throughout, falling to Florida 81-65 Saturday at Exatech Arena, ending the Tigers’ three-game winning streak.

“Florida played great. They were ready to go,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “They scored every time they touched it in the first half. There were a lot of things we talked about doing that we just did not get done. I think Florida is going to be one of the top five teams in our league. They were very physical.”

Johnson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting.

“Chaney is one of our best athletes,” Pearl said. “Florida was very athletic, bouncy and fresh. They were extremely prepared and ready. We had a really good game plan but we did not execute it.”

Johni Broome scored a team-high 14 points and added seven rebounds. K.D. Johnson scored 12 points and Denver Jones added 10. 

Florida, which had extra time to rest and prepare for Auburn after not playing since last Saturday, scored the game’s first nine points before Broome’s dunk accounted for Auburn’s first points.

“Our guys just were not as locked in nor as aggressive or physical,” Pearl said. “Florida was better than us tonight. Their guards were terrific. As a result, they got the win.”

The Gators used a 10-0 run to build a 17-point lead and led 42-26 at the half.

Auburn committed 15 turnovers while forcing only seven, leading to Florida’s 16-7 edge in points off turnovers. The Gators made 10 steals to Auburn’s one. Florida blocked six shots while Broome’s two blocks were Auburn’s only rejections.

Florida missed its last 14 shots as Auburn trimmed 13 points off a 29-point deficit to close the final margin to 16 points. 

Riley Kugel scored a game-high 22 points for Florida (16-7, 6-4). Fellow guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin scored 20 and 19, respectively.

Auburn (19-5, 8-3) returns to Neville Arena Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CT to host first-place South Carolina on SEC Network.

“We’ve got an opportunity,” Pearl said. “If we think Florida was physical, South Carolina is even more physical.”

FLORIDA POSTGAME NOTES

» Florida and Auburn have now split the last eight games in the series. The Gators lead, 52-29, in games played in Gainesville including 15-straight wins and victories in 20 of the last 21. AU still leads 91-83 in the all-time versus UF.

» Bruce Pearl is 12-13 against Florida during his coaching career including 4-8 at Auburn. Pearl is 3-9 lifetime on the road against the Gators including 0-6 at Auburn. He is now 1-1 against second-year Florida head coach Todd Golden, who served on Pearl’s staff at Auburn for two seasons – as the director of basketball operations for the 2014-15 season and as an assistant coach for the 2015-16 campaign.

» Auburn outscored Florida, 40-38, in the paint. The Tigers have outscored their opponent in the paint in 22-of-24 games this season and were even with St. Bonaventure in paint points in one of the other two games. Mississippi State is the only team to outscore Auburn in the paint this season, doing so 34-20, on Jan. 27.  

» AU also outscored Florida, 31-28, in bench points. The Tigers’ reserves have outscored its opponents’ bench in all but one game this season including the last 17 contests.

» Auburn shot 14-of-26 (53.8%) from the floor in the second half. It was the fourth time the Tigers have shot at least 50 percent for a half over the last four games.

» Auburn placed three players in double figures including 14 points from Johni Broome, 12 points from K.D. Johnson and 10 points from Denver Jones – all in the second half. Broome was 6-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-2 from long range. It was his 15th-straight game in double figures. He is 8-of-16 from 3-point range over the last seven games making a 3-pointer in all seven games. He added seven rebounds, two blocks and an assist on the afternoon. Broome has blocked a shot in 18 of the last 19 games including 15 multi-block games during that stretch. He has now recorded 135 blocked shots in his Auburn career surpassing former Tiger Pat Burke for 10th in program history.

» Johnson scored in double figures for the second time in three games and seventh time this season. It was Johnson’s 58th career game in double figures. He was 4-of-7 from the floor, including one 3-pointer, and grabbed three rebounds at Florida.

» Jones finished 3-of-6 from the floor, 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line against the Gators. He pulled down one rebound on the afternoon. It was his third game in double figures over the last four games and eighth of the season. It was also Jones’ 54th career game scoring in double figures.

» Chaney Johnson recorded SEC season highs with nine points and 10 rebounds at Florida. His previous highs in league play were eight points at Mississippi State and five rebounds against Ole Miss. It was his second game with double-digit rebounds on the season (11 boards vs. SE Louisiana).

» Jaylin Williams played in his 131st career game for the Tigers, tying him with Bryce Brown for second in program history and three games behind Frankie Sullivan’s school record 134 career games.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 9, 2024) – Fresh off an 79-74 road win last night at North Florida, the University of North Alabama men’s basketball team will look to leave Duval County with two wins as the Lions take on Jacksonville University on Saturday.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and will tip off at 2 p.m. for fans watching in the Shoals. Fans are also encouraged to tune into WLX Radio on 98.3 or 103.5 FM for the local broadcast featuring “Voice of the Lions” Benjamin Ray. The “Countdown to Tipoff” show begins at 1:40 p.m. Live stats are also available.

The Lions remain the hottest team in the Atlantic Sun Conference with five straight wins, overcoming a 1-4 start to league play to now sit in a tie for third at 6-4. A win tomorrow would give UNA its first six-game win streak since 2021.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville enters with a 3-7 record in conference play. The Dolphins are a much tougher team inside Swisher Gymnasium, owning a 3-1 record at home during ASUN play.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Game: North Alabama at Jacksonville

Date: Saturday, February 10

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT

Location: Jacksonville, Florida

Venue: Swisher Gymnasium

Capacity: 1,360

Watch: ESPN+

Radio: WLX 98.3 / 103.5 FM — “Voice of the Lions” Benjamin Ray

Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats

Tickets: Click here

UNA Game Notes: Click here

Social Media: @UNA_Basketball

NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama won its fifth-straight game on Thursday, taking down North Florida by a 79-74 final in Jacksonville. Despite there being no lead changes, North Florida worked back from a double-digit deficit to tie it up at 74-74 with 46 seconds remaining. Senior KJ Johnson converted an and-one layup for the go-ahead points and later iced the game with two free throws. This marked UNF’s first home loss since December 2, snapping a seven-game home winning streak.

SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA enters with an even 12-12 record and a 6-4 record in league play, tied with UNF and Lipscomb for third in the ASUN. The Lions average 77.4 points per game this season, but are averaging 81.6 PPG over the last five games. The Lions have five players averaging double figures over the last five games, including Johnson with 18.0 PPG and sophomore guard Jacari Lane at 15.4 PPG. Both guards are above 14.0 PPG for the season.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Jacksonville enters with a matching 12-12 overall record, joining UNA as the only two .500 teams in the ASUN. Things have not gone as well for the Dolphins in league play, as they sit in 11th place with a 3-7 record — including an 0-6 league record on the road. Jacksonville does have some momentum heading into Saturday following a 59-55 win over Central Arkansas on Thursday. Robert McCray leads the squad with 17.0 PPG to rank fifth in the ASUN, including 19.8 PPG over his last five.

SERIES HISTORY: UNA leads the all-time series with a 6-2 record, including an 80-62 win last season at CB&S Bank Arena. The last four meetings have taken place in Florence, meaning this year’s trip to Swisher Gym is the first game at Jacksonville since 2020 before COVID. UNA has won three of the last four games.

RIGHT ON AVERAGE: UNA entered the week averaging 78.9 points in ASUN play this season. The Lions essentially met this average in Thursday’s win over North Florida, scoring 79 points in the five-point road victory.

SHOOTING STARS: The Lions are 6-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, including last night’s win where the Lions shot 28-56 for exactly 50 percent. On the flipside, UNA is 1-6 when shooting under 40 percent in games this season.

SOUCIE COOKS: Fourth year guard Will Soucie scored 15 points against FGCU last Saturday before drawing his fourth foul midway through the second half, but followed that performance with a season-high 20 points against North Florida on Thursday. This marks the second career game for Soucie where he scored 20 or more points, as his career-high remains 23 against Central Arkansas in 2022.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: In the first four games of the five-game win streak, UNA experienced a combined 40 lead changes before coming out on top. Against North Florida, the Lions never lost the lead, but did fight off a tie in the final minute.

HELPER, HELPER: Sophomore Jacari Lane enters this week with 100 assists on the season. He needs just eight more to tie his own Division I era record for single-season assists which he set at 108 as a freshman over 33 games. His 100 total this season has come in just 24 games.

CAREER GUYS: Four-year players Will Soucie and Detalian Brown became just the second and third players in UNA Division I history to appear in over 100 games, joining Jamari Blackmon who played in 113 games from 2018-22. Dallas Howell is not far behind the pair at 87 games, tying Aleksa Matic (2019-22) for the fourth-most Division I appearances at UNA.

FOUR OVER A THOUSAND: The Lions have four players on the active roster who have scored 1,000 career points — Johnson, Smith Jr., Forrest and junior transfer Marco Foster. Johnson accomplished the feat last season, while Smith Jr. did so against Jacksonville State this season. Foster and Forrest hit the marks against Rust College and Morehead State, respectively.

ELITE COMPANY: UNA is one of nine known schools in Division I basketball with at least four 1,000 point scorers when factoring in players who scored some of their totals at the JUCO level. The list is led by St. John’s (NY) with six, followed by TCU and Missouri with five. North Alabama is joined by Tennessee, Villanova, St. Bonaventure, Memphis and New Mexico with four.

ON THE HORIZON: The Lions return home next week for its final regular season home games, starting with a visit from Lipscomb on Thursday, Feb. 15 and Austin Peay on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Saturday game will serve as UNA’s senior day, as the Lions will honor Johnson, Forrest, Smith Jr. and Eoin Nelson.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 16/16 Alabama men’s basketball team will wrap up this week’s Southeastern Conference road trip Saturday at LSU. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT at the Pete Maravich Center.

The matchup features three of the top-15 scorers during SEC play in Alabama’s Mark Sears (No. 3, 21.7 ppg) along with LSU’s Jordan Wright (No. 14, 16.1 ppg) and Jalen Cook (No. 15, 16.0 ppg). The Crimson Tide comes into the contest in a three-way tie for first place in the SEC with Auburn and South Carolina at 8-2.

The Crimson Tide will be looking for the season sweep of the Tigers, as Alabama posted a 109-88 home victory over LSU just two weeks ago (Jan. 27). 

The Broadcast

Saturday’s game is set for an 11 a.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on ESPN with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Notes You Need To Know

• Since Oats arrived at Alabama in 2019-20, the Crimson Tide has won a league-best 57 SEC contests
• Alabama has not lost back-to-back SEC games since March 5, 2022 (vs. Texas A&M and at LSU)
• Alabama has scored 100 points in eight SEC games during Oats’ tenure. The rest of the league has a combined 10 100-point games during that span.
• According to KenPom, Mark Sears ranks No. 8 in the National Player of the Year standings and ranks No. 3 in Barttorvik’s player rankings
• Sears is the only player in Division I that has 465 points, 95 rebounds, 90 assists and 50 three-pointers this season
• Sears has recorded 20-points or more in 14 games this season, matching Brandon Miller (2022-23) and Retin Obasohan (2015-16) and most since Collin Sexton in 2017-18 (16 games)
• last season and the most since Collin Sexton (16 games)
• Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (20.4 ppg), No. 4 in field goal percentage (52.3) and No. 8 in assists (3.9 apg)
• Sears (21.7 ppg) is one of four SEC players (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, 26.9 ppg, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV, 22.7 ppg and Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, 20.6 ppg) that is averaging over 20 points per game during conference play
• The Crimson Tide owns the No. 2 scoring offense in the country (89.5 ppg) and the No. 2-ranked offense, according to KenPom
• Alabama is one of three schools (Purdue and Wright State) in the country that has two players on its current roster that has scored at least 1,700 points throughout their career in Sears (1,822 points) and Estrada (1,768 points)

About LSU

• LSU’s four wins during SEC play surpasses last year’s win total (2)
• During SEC play, LSU is 3-1 at home, with one win over an AP Top-25 opponent (No. 22 Ole Miss)
• LSU has two players ranked in the top 15 in scoring during SEC play in Jordan Wright (No. 14, 16.1 ppg) and Jalen Cook (No. 15, 16.0 ppg)
• LSU has three players averaging double figures during conference play in Wright, Cook and Will Baker (11.0 ppg)
• During LSU’s last four contests, Wright is averaging 17.3 points per game
• Wright’s 1.9 steals per game ranks No. 4 in the SEC and No. 69 in Division I
• The Tigers will be playing its fifth-ranked team (1-4) in the AP Poll this season
• In its last six contests, LSU has made 60 three-pointers led by Mike Williams III’s 13 threes made and 41.9 percent three-point percentage

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 24/22 Alabama men’s basketball team enters this week atop the Southeastern Conference standings and face a tough road test, Wednesday night at Georgia. The two squads will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. CT Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

Alabama’s Mark Sears was named the SEC Player of the Week, coming off a week where he averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in Alabama’s two wins over No. 8 Auburn and against LSU. The Crimson Tide’s offense continues to set program records, setting a new mark with six 100-point games this season and averaging 89.7 points per game, which ranks No. 1 in the country.

The Broadcast

Wednesday’s game is set for a 5:30 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on the SEC Network with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Pat Bradley (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Notes You Need To Know

• Alabama is ranked in the AP Top-25 (No. 24) and USA Today Coaches Poll (No. 22) for the first time since Nov. 27
• Alabama has scored 100 points in eight SEC games during the tenure of Nate Oats. The rest of the SEC has 10 100-point games during that span.
• Mark Sears was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season and is the second SEC player (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht) to earn the honor multiple times on the year
• Sears is one of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player that has 395 points, 75 assists, 75 rebounds and 45 three-pointers this season
• Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (20.0 ppg), No. 5 in field goal percentage (52.0) and No. 7 in assists (3.9 apg) 
• Sears (21.1 ppg) is one of four SEC players (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, 28.0 ppg, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV, 24.4 ppg and Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, 20.3 ppg) that is averaging over 20 points per game during conference play
• The Crimson Tide owns the No. 1-ranked offense, according to KenPom and the No. 1 scoring offense in the country (89.7 ppg)
• The Tide (No. 7) is one of the three SEC teams currently ranked in the top-10 in the NET Rankings
• Alabama has scored 1,793 points this season, the most any UA team has scored in the first 20 games of the season, surpassing last year’s team (1,663 points)
• Alabama is one of three schools (Purdue and Wright State) in the country that has two players on its current roster that has scored at least 1,700 points throughout their career in Sears (1,753 points) and Estrada (1,732 points)

About Georgia

• Georgia is currently 14-6 overall and 4-3 in SEC play – two victories shy of matching the Bulldogs’ overall and SEC win totals from a year ago with 11 regular-season outings remaining
• Georgia is 11-1 in games at Stegeman Coliseum this season. During Georgia’s 10-game winning streak at home this season, which was snapped by Tennessee, UGA matched the seventh-longest home winning-streak ever and their fifth-longest since moving into the Coliseum in 1964.
• Georgia ranks No. 20 nationally in bench points at 31.4 ppg. The Bulldogs’ reserves have won the bench point battle in 18 of 20 games to date and currently sport a scoring margin of +292 (+14.6 ppg).
• Georgia is one of three teams with a higher scoring offense in SEC games over non-conference play. Three Bulldogs have upped their production significantly in league outings – Silas Demary Jr. from 8.5-13.8 ppg (+5.3), Justin Hill from 8.5-10.3 ppg (+1.8) and Jabri Abdur-Rahim from 13.2-14.8 ppg (+1.6).
• After compiling an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.93 in the first eight games, Georgia’s effort has improved considerably to 1.20 in the last 11 outings.
• The Bulldogs are converting 17.8 free throws per game this season, which ranks No. 13 in Division I

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

ATLANTA (January 29, 2024) – For the first time in his five-year career, University of North Alabama senior guard KJ Johnson was tabbed the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

In two pivotal wins over defending ASUN champion Kennesaw State and Queens, Johnson scored 51 points for an average of 25.5 points per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the field for 48.1 percent, while going 3-4 behind the arc and a whopping 22-24 from the free throw line. The free throws proved impactful as he iced both wins by a 90-84 final.

Another impressive stat, Johnson accomplished all of this scoring over 25.9 minutes per contest, which nearly equates to one point per minute.

Johnson won a pair of ASUN Newcomer of the Week awards in 2019-20 while at Lipscomb, but now celebrates his first Player of the Week honor at North Alabama. Johnson was also an all-freshman team selection in 2019-20.

The senior from Lewisburg, Tenn. Is the active career leader in ASUN scoring with 1,504 points. This is also tied with College of Charleston’s Marion Busby (1991-95) for 45th in career points in league history.

For the season, Johnson averages 14.6 PPG while averaging 17.6 PPG in seven conference play.

This marks the second ASUN Player of the Week for UNA this season, as sophomore guard Jacari Lane earned the honors back in December for his performances at Kansas State and against Tennessee Tech.

The Lions are back at home on Thursday, Feb. 1 for a quality matchup against Stetson. Opening tip is set for 7:45 p.m. inside CB&S Bank Arena.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Mark Sears Named SEC Player of the Week

The senior from Muscle Shoals, Ala. earns his second SEC Player of the Week honor this season

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second time this season, Alabama men's basketball guard Mark Sears has been named the SEC Player of the Week, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday. The honor comes after Sears averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the Crimson Tide’s wins over No. 8 Auburn and LSU. 

Mark Sears Notes

• Recorded his 10^th and 11^th 20-point games of the season
• Mark Sears is one of two SEC players (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht) that has earned SEC Player of the Week multiple times this season
• Ranks No. 28^th in the country in points per game (20.0 ppg) and tied for first in the SEC
• One of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player with 395 points, 75 rebounds, 75 assists and 45 three-pointers
• Ranks No. 5 in the SEC in field goal percentage (52.0) and No. 7 in assists (3.9)

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.