LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team is set to resume their 2024 season on Saturday when they welcome the Webster Gorloks to Pruitt Hall for a 2:00 p.m. matchup.

West Alabama (3-2) enters Saturday's contest after a 69-66 road loss to Georgia Southwestern last Wednesday while Webster (1-5) comes to Livingston off the heels of their first win of the season, beating Westminster College, 82-66, this past Tuesday. 

Five games into the regular season, UWA is still trying to find their rhythm with all of the new accusations they acquired in the offseason. The Tigers are averaging 74.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting and 39 percent from three which is a good place to be early on in the season. Jaylen Lemons has been as advertised this year after his breakout season in 2023-24. The Guard has been assigned a different role this year, coming off the bench as West Alabama's sixth man, but he's embraced the change. Lemons currently leads the team and ranks 12th in the league in scoring with 15.8 points per game. Even though it's a small sample size, Lemons' efficiency is up from his previous campaign as the senior comes into Saturday's matchup with a 45 | 45 | 88 percent shooting split.

While Lemons has remained a hallmark in the Tigers' offense, Marcellious Lockett and Caleb McGill have been key to UWA's success as well. After not registering many minutes last year, Lockett and McGill are regular starters this season and have really shown their progression. Lockett ranks second on the team in scoring, behind Lemons, with 11.6 points per game on 50 | 50 | 78 percent shooting splits. While being a scoring threat offensively, Lockett continues to showcase his ability as a two-way player as he's arguably West Alabama's best perimeter defender.

When talking about pure skill, McGill is arguably the most talented offensive player on UWA's roster. Standing at 6'6", McGill can score at all three levels, creating matchup problems for opposing teams. The senior's ability to stretch the floor and be versatile, playing the three or the four, gives head coach Nick Woodruff a lot of options and flexibility on the offensive end. While flexing his offensive prowess, McGill also leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 boards per game, but the best part of his offensive repertoire is arguably his passing. The Forward is a superb passer, constantly finding teammates on back cuts and outlets, resulting in 2.5 assists per game along with his 8.3 points and team-high 5.8 rebounds per game.

Through six games of their 2024-25 campaign, Webster hasn't found much success on the offensive end, resulting in their slow start. The Gorloks enters this weekend's play shooting 38 percent from the field and 29 percent from three. Despite their sluggish offensive start, Guard Jemard Sykes II and Forward Karl Moore Jr. have been bright spots for Webster. Sykes II currently leads the Gorloks in scoring and assists with 10.5 points and 1.6 assists per game. The junior has scored in double figures in four of Webster's six games, including a 13-point performance to lead the Gorloks to their first win of the year against Westminster on Tuesday. 

As for Moore Jr., he's missed three games already this season, but when he's in Webster's lineup, the Gorloks look like a completely different team. Moore Jr. is undersized for the Power Forward and Center position but the 6'4" senior makes up for his lack of size with a combination of athleticism and rebounding ability. Moore Jr. will be one of the best rebounders that West Alabama has faced thus far in 2024-25 as the Forward leads Webster with 11.3 boards per game. In the three games he's played, Moore Jr. has recorded double-digit rebounds in all of them, while registering double-doubles in two games.

Tip-off for Saturday's matchup between the Tigers and Gorloks is set for 2:00 p.m. from Pruitt Hall in Livingston, Alabama.