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Josh Fleming
Joe Chance
77
North Alabama UNA 4-3
88
Winner West Alabama UWA 6-2
North Alabama UNA
4-3
77
Final
88
West Alabama UWA
6-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Alabama UNA 30 47 77
West Alabama UWA 33 55 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Tigers pull away from UNA to win GSC opener, 88-77

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The North Alabama Lions were up seven, 52-45, with 12:22 remaining in the game. From there, the West Alabama Tigers outscored the visitors 43-25 to come away with an 88-77 victory in Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball action Thursday night in Pruitt Hall.
 
UWA improves to 6-2 and 1-0 in the GSC. UNA falls to 4-3 and 0-1 in the conference.
 
"Midway toward the back end of the second half, we found a way to get enough stops to kind of get away from them and we knew that going in this," said Head coach Allen Sharpe. "We felt like we could score the basketball, but were going to able to hold them to give us a chance to win. We had so many possessions where we'd get up a bit and give up a big three, get up a little and give up an offensive rebound, they'd a couple of free throws and we just couldn't do it soon enough, but eventually we did enough to get away from them."
 
The Lions finished 9 of 26 from behind the arc which was 35 percent and well off the 49 percent pace UNA averaged entering Livingston.
 
"Coming into the game, they were leading the league in three-point percentage and there were two aspects of it. We were going to have to defend the three and we're going to have to block out because the also lead the league in rebounding," said Sharpe. "We knew coming in we'd have to keep their three-pointers made down. We felt like if they had about nine, 10, 11 or 12, we'd have a hard time moving forward."
 
As a unit, the Tigers won the battle of the boards and grabbed 46 rebounds compared to 40 for UNA. West Alabama 44 percent from the field and even more impressively 83 percent from the free throw line.
 
Reigning GSC Player of the Week Charles Eaton led with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals while shooting 8 of 9 from the charity stripe. Josh Fleming scored 21 points and hit 10 out 11 free throw attempts with the majority coming down the closing stretch. Gavin Robinson scored 14 and grabbed eight rebounds while hitting six of his eight free throw attempts.
 
"Josh makes free throws, Chuck makes free throws and Gavin makes free throws. Primarily those are the guys in position to get fouled and sent to the free throw line," said Sharpe. "At this point, we lead the league in free throw percentage and it's all because we have the right guys at the line."
 
A quartet of Lions scored in double figures as Jeff Hodge led with 15 points, both Kendall Stafford and Kendarius Smith had 14 and Adrian Smith scored 11.
 
UWA returns to action Sunday in Pruitt Hall against the University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the game that was originally scheduled for Saturday, but shifted due to UWA Football hosting West Florida in the NCAA Super Region 2 final that day.
 
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