LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team is set to face No. 7 seed UAH in the NCAA South Regional Semifinals on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. CST) at Rick Case Arena.
Sunday's matchup marks the fourth meeting this season between the two Gulf South Conference programs. West Alabama (27-5, 19-3 GSC) leads the season series 2-1 over UAH (22-9, 15-7 GSC). The Tigers won the first meeting in Pruitt Hall, 70-54, before falling to the Chargers, 70-64, in Huntsville during the regular-season finale. West Alabama responded with an 80-72 victory in the GSC Tournament Semifinals, which stands as the most recent matchup between the two teams.
Across the three meetings, West Alabama has outscored UAH by 18 total points, an average margin of 6.0 points per game. The Tigers have shot 47.1 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range in those contests while stifling the Chargers offense, holding them to 35.9 percent shooting overall and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc. UWA has also controlled the glass, outrebounding UAH by an average of 8.3 boards per game.
West Alabama advanced to the Regional Semifinals with a gritty 58-53 victory over No. 6 seed West Florida. Meanwhile, UAH secured its spot with a dominant 92-73 win over No. 2 seed Palm Beach Atlantic.
In Saturday's win over the Argonauts, West Alabama delivered a standout defensive performance, holding West Florida to a season-low 53 points on 31.5 percent shooting and just 18.5 percent from three-point range. The Tigers will need to bring that same defensive intensity against a UAH team that shot 55.2 percent from the field and 53.6 percent from three in its win over Palm Beach Atlantic.
West Alabama features several strong two-way players in Caleb Parr, BJ Brown Jr., and Christian Thompson, who will look to slow down UAH's trio of Quentin Toles, Thomas Allard, and Matt Thurman.
Toles leads the Chargers in scoring and finished with 20 points, including five three-pointers, in their win over the Sailfish. Allard contributes across the board, averaging 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Thurman, a stretch forward, scored a game-high 22 points in Saturday's victory, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 from three. He now averages 11.7 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 43 percent from three, and 74 percent from the free-throw line.
For West Alabama, Jakobe Singleton led the Tigers in scoring during their Quarterfinal win over West Florida. The forward recorded 18 points off the bench and continues to be one of the region's top sixth men. Brown Jr. added 12 points and a game-high five assists, while Thompson continued his dominance on the boards with 14 rebounds. Thompson currently averages 10.3 rebounds, 9.5 points, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Sunday's contest comes on the second day of a back-to-back for both teams, making rest and recovery a key factor as they prepare for the NCAA South Regional Semifinals.
Tip-off between the Tigers and Chargers is set for 4:00 p.m. CST (5:00 p.m. EST) on Sunday at Rick Case Arena.
