LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The 2011 West Alabama football season came to an end on Saturday afternoon in a 43-27 loss to in-state foe North Alabama in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Championships. The Tigers conclude the season with an 8-4 mark while UNA advances to the second round at Delta State on Saturday, Nov. 26.

The Lions jumped on the board early with a 12-0 lead. The Purple and Gold took its opening drive and marched 61 yards on eight plays as Chris Coffey pushed into the end zone from a yard out. UNA's second score came after the Tigers were forced to punt on a three and out. Janoris Jenkins took the Brock Sharp punt and returned 92 yards for a Lion score. Both PATs failed.

The Tigers' answered with a 69-yard, 10-play drive to cut the margin to 12-7. Matt Willis provided the TD with a three-yard run. Willis rushed the ball seven times during the drive and also caught a pass for eight total touches.

Willis finished the night with 156 yards on the ground, giving him his 10th straight game with 100-plus yards on the ground, and three TDs. The single-season rushing leader is 95 yards away from catching Shay Oliver for sixth all-time in rushing yards and 97 yards from Tony Truelove in fifth.

Following a Nathan O'Jibway 37-yard field goal that increased the Lions' lead to 15-7, Willis cut the deficit to 15-14 with a two-yard run that capped an eight-play, 76-yard drive, early in the second quarter.

The Lions however responded with three, consecutive touchdowns. Lee Chapple tossed a pair of scores in the scoring outburst including an eight-yarder to Cameron Wade and a five-yard score to Tristan Purifoy. Coffey began the scoring output with an eight-yard run with 8:24 left in the opening half.

Chapple ended the night completing 27-of-33 for 320 yards along with the two passing TDs.

UWA closed out the scoring in the half with a 41-yard field goal by Ryne Smith as time expired, narrowing the gap to 36-17.

Smith added his second field goal of the game midway through the third quarter as the Madison, Miss., native connected on a 20 yard field capping a 15-play, 63-yard drive that lasted seven-plus minutes.

The Lions once again answered this time on an eight-yard run by Wes Holland that ended a 65-yard drive.

Willis capped the scoring in the game with a one-yard run with early in the fourth quarter, but that would be all the scoring by either team the remainder of the way.

UWA finished the game with 374 yards of total offense while the Lions amassed 471.