North Alabama Holds on to Defeat Muleriders

Contact: Houston Taylor

FLORENCE, Ala. – North Alabama (5-2) held off a stubborn Southern Arkansas (2-1) team to claim a 78-72 win Saturday at Flowers Hall. The Muleriders hung tough with the Lions, who were picked to finish second, with two first-place nods, in the East Division of the pre-season Gulf South Conference coaches’ poll.

SAU used runs in each half in nearly pulling off the victory in their first road trip of the season. Trailing 55-47 with 11:57 left in the game, Southern Arkansas used a 14-5 spree in about a four-minute span to take a 61-60 advantage at 8:11, with Scotty Lott hitting two three-pointers, Chris Montgomery a lay-up, and Leon St. Rose a trey during the run. UNA bounced back for the lead before the Muleriders knotted it at 66-66 on two Channin Harden free throws with 3:46 remaining. But North Alabama hit eight of eight free throws, including six from Andrew Chesney, down the stretch to get the win.

Chesney’s lay-up gave the Lions their largest lead of the game (19-8) at 11:46 in the first half, but SAU also rallied from that, eventually taking a 33-32 lead on Brandon Williams’ shot from beyond the arc with 35 ticks left. UNA ended the half with the longest nine-tenths of a second in history, when coming off a break in action, Thomas Morris somehow had enough time to receive the pass, jump, and hit a jumper to put UNA up, 34-33, at the break. The slow clock start and resulting jumper pushed the momentum North Alabama’s way as they rolled out to the eight-point edge in the second frame before Southern Arkansas made its run at around 12 minutes.

The Lions shot 50 percent (28-56) for the game, including 46.2 percent (6-13) from downtown, and converted 16 of 21 (76.2) free throws. The Muleriders connected on 25 of 62 shots (40.3), but canned 13 of 26 treys. Uncharacteristically, they made just nine of 17 (52.9) from the charity stripe.

Lack of size inside continues to haunt SAU as UNA won the battle of the boards, 45-27, to pile up an 18-3 edge in second-chance points. Southern Arkansas countered by forcing 17 North Alabama turnovers that they converted into 14 points. The Muleriders had only 10 miscues in the game.

Casey Holt, the reigning GSC East Division Player of the Week, paced the Lions with 19 points and eight rebounds. Chesney added 14 points and nine boards.

SAU used a balanced scoring attack, getting 13 points from Lott, and 12 each from Harden, Williams, and Cory Green. Lott hit four of six three-pointers for 12 of his 13, Williams was four of eight for all his, and Green knocked down three of five treys for nine of his 12. Montgomery and Cameron Butler each pulled down four rebounds.

Southern Arkansas returns home Tuesday when they host West Alabama in a 7 p.m. tip-off at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.