Episode summary

The episode focused on UNA basketball, highlighting recent wins, key players like Allie Alvarado and Katie Criswell, and the challenges of a grueling four-game-in-eight-days schedule. It featured insights from coaches and players about team chemistry, player development, and upcoming nationally televised games.

Highlights

  • Benjamin Ray and Mike Ezekiel discuss UNA women's basketball, noting Allie Alvarado’s 21-point performance against Florida Gulf Coast and the men's team splitting their road game against Stetson.
  • Coach Sophia Cipollotti emphasizes smart play and player rest during short work weeks, while Katie Criswell holds top scorer Cameron Thomas to six points in a game against Stetson.
  • Allie Alvarado is praised for her ASUN Player of the Week honors and a flashy crossover three-pointer that became a highlight reel moment.
  • Jazzy Kling reflects on her crucial rebound and free throws in the fourth quarter of the Florida Gulf Coast game, which helped secure the win.
  • Coach Tony Pujol shares personal connections to Florida, including family ties and childhood roots in Miami, and mentions interactions with UNA basketball legend Kevin Simmons.
  • Dante Bacchus scores 23 points against Stetson and is named A-SUN Player of the Week, while Cannon Jefferson nearly breaks the school record for assists in a game.
  • The team prepares for a busy schedule with four games in eight days, including a nationally televised ESPNU game against Eastern Kentucky on February 15th.
  • Players emphasize the importance of rest, nutrition, and recovery to handle the demanding schedule and express excitement about returning home for games.

Full show transcript (text version of the audio, for readers who are deaf or hard of hearing)

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[0:00] It's time for UNA Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company featuring Coach Candy Whitaker and Coach Tony Pujol. UNA Basketball Night is brought to you by Lost Pizza, Bank Independent, Burnley Spine and Sport, Renaissance Eye Care, The Carriage Wine and Market, Alabama Health Guidance, and Singing River Brewery. Now live from Lost Pizza Company in historic downtown Florence, here's the voice of the UNA Lions, Benjamin Ray. Hello and welcome back down to Lost Pizza Shoals for another week of UNA Basketball Night. I'm Benjamin Ray alongside Mike Ezekiel and after taking a week off due to the winter weather, Mike, it's nice to be back and it's even better to be back talking about some UNA dubs from the weekend.

Man, I tell you, it was cold and it kind of got boring being trapped all weekend, even without basketball on Saturday, but it was good to be back out this week and some exciting basketball. A couple of wins on the men's and women's side for each, so really good to see that and good to be back in the swing of things. On the women's side, they have been red hot of late after having the four-game win streak. They dropped one to Stetson, bounced back with a win against Florida Gulf Coast.

Winners of five of the last six, and here's a deep cut stat. Since 2018, UNA entered the Atlantic Sun. Only four schools had beaten Florida Gulf Coast. Stetson, North Florida, Jacksonville, and North Alabama. This year, Lipscomb, Austin Peay, and West Georgia have all defeated Florida Gulf Coast. Then you add UNA into that mix. UNA and Stetson are the only programs with multiple wins over FGCU during that stretch, but Mike, Saturday was a humongous win. Yeah, and even though FGCU is not that undefeated team they were a year ago, they're still a great program, and that is a huge win for this women's basketball team to do it at home, to do it the way they did in that fourth quarter, to really grid out that win, to come back, and to pull it off in front of the home fans.

That was a huge win, going to be a memorable one for the next few years, and a signature win for Candy Whitaker. Allie Alvarado against Stetson had 21 points and six assists, then in the win against Florida Gulf Coast, 19 points, four assists. Most of that coming in the second half. She was named Atlantic Sun, player and newcomer of the week. But we've got Katie Criswell and Jazzy Kling in the house. We'll talk to them momentarily. And Mike, the men went on the road and got a split, and it was a much-needed split.

Anytime you can win on the road, that kind of makes up for some of the home losses. Yeah, it's hard to win on the road, and Stetson's a team that they've been hard to beat this year. They've really improved their roster. And to go down there and get a win, to do it the way they did, a big win for the men on the road. Hard to win in this league, and you have to show up for every game. And you're kind of seeing the balance right now.

Nobody's undefeated. Nobody's without a win right now. So I think it's really shaping up for a fun February. You've kind of got a top four established on the men's side in terms of Austin Peay, Lipscomb, Central Arkansas, and Queens, right? And then five through 12, separated by two games. You could make that up in one weekend. February's going to be very exciting, and it's really heating up for UNA. Starting this Wednesday, both teams will play four games in eight days. The men will play Wednesday in Conway, Arkansas, against Central Arkansas.

Saturday on the road against Austin Peay. Monday's the make-up game inside the bank against Central Arkansas. Then next Wednesday, it will be at home against West Georgia as well. For the women, let's see if I can rattle all of this off. It gets really confusing when you're doing two different schedules. Wednesday, home against Austin Peay. Saturday, they play at Queens. Monday, they play at Central Arkansas. Next Wednesday, they play at Carrollton. So they're going east coast to Arkansas. Arkansas back to Atlanta in the next couple of days.

Four games in eight days. Mike, it almost feels like March and February. Yeah, it's funny. All these back-to-back games, but they're in different locations. That's what makes it difficult. And I feel for the women a little more because you're going from Charlotte to Little Rock or Conway, and then you've got to go all the way to West Georgia, and you're doing that back-to-back with one day off in between, and that's a travel day. So it's going to be tough for them. And obviously, the men, too.

A couple of those at home, Central Arkansas, West Georgia back-to-back, and having to do that after going to Austin Peay, who right now is atop the league. It's going to be a grind, but that's how it is right now. And hopefully, in March, that's going to pay off come tournament time. And this stretch will be capped off with the UNA men hosting Eastern Kentucky. February 15th, that's a Sunday, 3 o'clock. That is the game on ESPNU. So Flowers Hall, CB&S Bank Arena, getting a national broadcasted game inside of CB&S Bank Arena.

It'll be a historic day. We hope everybody will mark their calendars. February 15th, come on out. It's going to be a big weekend as well as we open up Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independence Stadium. So, all right, let's take our first time out. When we come back, Head Coach Candy Whittaker will join us to talk some UNA women's hoops. We're off and running. This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered.

[5:03] We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza. Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor. And nobody delivers like Lost Pizza. Feed the team, feel the fans. Go big with Lost Pizza. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy. Effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more. We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area. Helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation. Therapies coupled with dry needling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients. Please visit us at burnleyciro.com. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple. So stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

Again, that's 256-648-5710. Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal? Yeah, this isn't that. I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot. I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking, and have a positive balance. That's it. A 20% scholarship to UNA. When bank independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and the future of our community. Bank independent.

We're invested in your future. Member FDIC. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.

Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Got wine? Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine and an unmatched selection of nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget, the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence.

In the mood to relax and wine down? Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers, all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie, and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere. Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market, located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater. Cheers! Now 5-4 in Atlantic Sun play. Since we chatted last, the UNA women went down to Florida, knocked off North Florida, Jacksonville, Queens, and then last week split on the road, or at home rather, Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast chatted with North Alabama head coach Candy Whitaker and 5-6 coach, you guys are playing great basketball.

How does it feel to see this team really clicking right now? Well, it's been a lot of fun. You know, we're a short bench, but I think in some ways it's helped us kind of find a rhythm and expectation for everybody and roles for everybody. So, yeah, really happy with how we've been playing ever since our EKU game here. Honestly, I thought it was probably our best performance, but it put us on a track, I think, of understanding more about ourselves and how to win games.

And the best thing about the two wins, Coach, it felt like both games, you had so many different players step up this weekend. Yeah, I mean, you know, from the beginning of the year, I thought that would be the case. I think we have a lot of people that can make plays and a lot of very good players, and every game's been a little bit different, but we've had multiple people step up and make big plays and been leaders for us in a lot of ways.

Coach, you alluded to the short bench earlier and how you've been able to succeed even despite that. How do you go about balancing those minutes when you have so many that are having to play so much right now? Yeah, we've gone to short work weeks when we can. So, in the past, Sunday's always our day off, and then we also take Monday for most of our players just to have more recovery time and then, you know, three days of practice basically in two games. This week's a little different.

[10:18] When we have Wednesday games, it'll be a little different. We'll still have two-day preps, so we'll have more practice, but very limited minutes in practice. We're down to an hour and 15, an hour and 20, and not much up and down. You know, we definitely guard and we're physical in the half when we need to rep our execution, our opponents, but just trying to be really smart about the pounding that they're taking with not being able to play many people. I mean, Coach, Sophia Cipollotti, 38 minutes against Stetson, 40 against Florida Gulf coach.

So, I'm looking here, Katie Crystal, we'll talk to her in just a second. 36 minutes, 38 minutes. I mean, you've got some players being warriors for you out there. Absolutely, and, you know, they're tough kids. I think they're high motor, so that certainly helps them play big minutes. But we've used some timeouts at times just to rest. We try to save them for the fourth, and I've called a couple just to be able to rest them to try to keep them as fresh as possible because it does take a toll, you know.

But they want to win, and you can tell that. Against Florida Gulf Coast, we were the team that wanted to win more. We were more loose balls, more hustle plays, more offensive rebounds, great defensive stops down the stretch. So, just really proud of their toughness. Coach, let's talk about those two players that are here tonight, Jazzy and Katie. You look at the box score, and you can just see how evident it was. They did a little bit of everything. They could score the ball. They could pass the ball a little bit.

Both had four assists, the ten rebounds from Jazzy and the FGCU win, but they were both rebounding as well. Kind of two Swiss Army knife-type players you have. Absolutely. I think, you know, Katie has drawn the toughest defense assignment really all year and embraces that. She can guard, you know, really one through four. So, whatever that matchup is, she's done a great job there. And we really believe in her ability to score the basketball, you know. So, she has been, I think, an ace on play.

I think you've seen the Katie Criswell that we know. Jazzy is someone who has always been, you know, hard-nosed, super tough, will go get every loose ball, will get on the floor. Kind of a gritty player that does the dirty things. But I thought she was so good in so many ways against Gulf Coast. But I also liked her on the offensive side because she found a way to get other people to basketball. She had a great job of driving, drawing defense, and kicking. Allie got some open looks because of her.

So, I thought she did a great job of finding a way to impact us on the offensive end, too. And it needs to be mentioned, Katie Criswell held the league's top scorer, Cameron Thomas, averaging over 20 points per game to just six points Thursday night. I mean, how tough of an assignment was that? And three of those six were not on Katie. So, really, she just got one basket, you know, on Katie the whole night. And Cam's obviously a very talented scorer, leads our league in scoring, and can really go off.

And so, she had a big assignment and was just excellent the whole game. You know, Coach, the old saying goes, sometimes it's a tail of two halves, right? The first half and the second half is different. But it was almost like a tail of three quarters and then the final quarter this week. But that FGCU game, that final quarter, what really clicked there to make that comeback complete? Well, I thought we just did a great job of playing on both sides in that quarter. You know, our defense was tremendous, holding them to 12 points.

And then I thought we played much better the whole second half offensively. But that fourth quarter was both sides of the ball that we put together. You know, great minutes, strung together, great possessions, shared the basketball. And then I were able to hold down there at the end with a defensive stop. Also, Florida Gulf Coast game coach, foul trouble in the first half. Some of your top players barely played. And then there's Allie Alvarado finishing with 19 points. Also against Stetson, she had 21 points, I believe. But she was named ASUN Player of the Week, also Newcomer of the Week.

The assist numbers were high as well. Just how bright was Allie this weekend? I mean, she's just really playing well. I mean, for a long time now. I think finally getting the recognition she deserves as far as ASUN honors. But she has just been such a tremendous ball of energy for us. Really, I mean, plays both sides. I mean, I think what I appreciate about Allie so much is her defensive side. But great assist, great, you know, sets other people up, probably puts a highlight reel together of really assisting others, but definitely wants to score it, can score it at all three levels, makes great decisions, takes charges.

I mean, I think she's had more charges herself than both years of everyone else combined on my team here. So we just, we love what she brings. The foul trouble that you mentioned, I thought was tremendous for a team effort to hold, Florida Gulf Coast to 23. You know, we obviously were struggling to score it, 20 to 23 at half. But to stay in that ballgame the way we did without Gabby, without Allie, and without India, I thought was a huge team effort to do. And then at halftime, I said that.

[15:26] I said, well, y'all are rested and never are. So we're going to get a great second half from y'all. And I thought Gabby and Allie were tremendous in the second half. And let's talk about Allie, that effort that you talked about on both sides of the court. But I want to talk about the flashiness, too. Back in the Stetson game, she had that crossover into the three-point shot. Now, as a fan, we're watching that maybe a little differently than you are as a coach. Because for us, we're like, wow, that's a highlight.

SportsCenter top 10, all that great stuff. And then it showed up on social media and everything. But as a coach, when that happens, are you just thinking three points on the board back on defense? Or is it actually set in like, wow, that was a great play? There were not just that play. I mean, players love that a little more than coaches, right? And of course, that is what's on all of their Instagram stories. But there were times in that game that we on the bench as a staff were like, she's really good.

You know, she's just really good. And she delivers, you know, timely times, you know, where maybe it's a step back or she's hitting a three or she's setting someone up. I thought her pass back to Jazzy was just gorgeous the other day. And she just is a smart player. She has a great feel for the game, super savvy. And sometimes you have that in an offensive player, and maybe they're not as good defensively. But she's just as good defensively as she is on the offensive end.

And I feel really good going on the road with Allie because I know she's going to compete. She's just such a competitor. So she's been a lot of fun to watch. All right, Coach, speaking of highlight plays, let's go to the monitor here. If you're watching at home, you'll get to see it. If you're in the restaurant, it's on the TV. If you're on the radio, you'll have to go back and watch this on the social streams. But this was in the first half against Florida Gulf Coast the other night.

The official was making a call. It was a charge. I don't remember who drew the charge. This is it right here. Look, it's Allie Alvarado right on cue. Look up at the top. Coach Whitaker right here. Watch the official. Coach Whitaker pops up. The official gives the epic charge call. You almost took a little left-handed jab right there, Coach. Did you feel that coming? Did you pop back right there? Well, I must have. My boxing days are coming back into my memory. Obviously, I reacted, but seeing the replay, it was pretty funny.

I'm glad I reacted. That would have been extra special. Have you come close with an official like that before? I haven't, oddly enough. You know, it's tight on that sideline. And I'm probably a little more active than they want me to be, so that probably was on me. How much did that get talked about after the game? Did anybody even bring that up? No, I didn't know about the replay until Ben sent it to me. So, no, I didn't notice that. I told my kids about me catching the ball at halftime because I was like, your mom has good hands.

Look at your mother. We joked with Chase Glover that you saved his life. That ball was coming right through both of you, and you just flashed the mitts. All right, Coach, four games in eight days coming up. You're going to go coast-to-coast almost at home Wednesday against Austin Peay, then on the road at Queens Saturday at Central Arkansas Monday in the make-up game at West Georgia next Wednesday. First and foremost, just tell her about the travel plans for this next week. Well, we're fortunate that there's airports, right?

I mean, we could be in some places where that wouldn't be the case. So, fortunately, we'll fly from Muscle Shoals to Charlotte, then we'll fly from Charlotte to Little Rock, and then Little Rock to Atlanta. And then we'll bus home after that game and then hit the road in a bus to EKU. So, yeah, rough stretch, but, you know, it worked out well as far as flights, direct flights. I think that will help us tremendously in handling the travel, you know, of that string of games together.

And we've had a lot of fun together on the road, so it'll be a good trip. Do setups like that somehow maybe help later in March when you're in conference play and you're having a turnaround, or conference tournament, you're having to turn around so quickly? Yeah, I think so, absolutely. You know, we'll have one-day prep for all those games, which we've had a little bit anyway, obviously with a Thursday-Saturday turn, but also with us moving to a short work week. At this time of the year, you know what you're doing or you should, and for the most part we've watched these guys play so many games, preparing for other people if we haven't played them yet, and we've seen them a lot.

So our staff will be ready to go. So, Coach, as it stands right now, you guys are a half game out of a three-way tie for third place. Then you look back behind you. I mean, Central Arkansas is down there in eighth place for the fourth. I mean, it's tight, these conference standings. Yeah, we knew it would be. I really felt that. I mean, I think this league is always going to, you know, for the most part be like that. I think the middle of the pack is always going to be one game out of, you know, from third to tenth.

And that's why every game is important. We stress it. That's why every possession is important because they're all coming down to one possessions. I mean, Austin Peay lost two games on one possession at the end of the regulation on each game this last week. That could have gone the other direction. So just really important to minimize your mistakes on the defensive end and take advantage of easy things that you get on the offensive end. Well, Coach, Wednesday in the bank, 6 o'clock. We hope you'll make your plans to come on out.

[20:49] Then the road trip begins. We appreciate you chatting with us, and we'll be there along the ride with you this week. So best of luck, and we appreciate you. Sounds good. Thanks for having me. Roar Lions. Roar Lions. We'll take a timeout. We've got player, guest Jazzy Clean, Katie Criswell up next. This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered. We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza.

Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza. Feed the team, fuel the fans. Go big with Lost Pizza. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy, effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more. We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area, helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation. Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients. Please visit us at burnleychiro.com. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan, or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard, or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

Again, that's 256-648-5710. Imagine a bank where you feel at home. Real people living right here in your community are the heart of Bank Independent and everything we do. You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together that create a stronger community full of endless potential. For over 75 years, we've served this place we all call home. Bank Independent. We're invested in you. Member FDIC. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery. Your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar. And 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Prohibition is over. And the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st. Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music. Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience. Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party in Concert, featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.

Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com. Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence. Stepping up next here at Lost Pizza Shoals from historic downtown Florence here on UNA Basketball Night, we welcome in North Alabama Junior Guard Katie Criswell from Lawrence County, Tennessee. Her third year with the program here at the University of North Alabama. Katie, we're excited to have you on. Big weekend for the team. Winners of five of the last six.

I mean, what's clicking right now for this group? Yeah, I mean, I think that we just have really calmed down and learned about each other and learned how to win games. Oh, sorry. But like Coach said, the first game that really clicked for us was EKU, and I feel like since then, we've really just built on what we have done, and we keep progressing and keep getting better in every aspect, I feel like. And we've had a bunch of people step up, so. And speaking of everybody stepping up, what's been really impressive to me is to see how many minutes you guys are having to play right now, and we just went through the 30-plus minutes for you.

Do you ever feel it kind of towards the end when you're only coming out once or twice a game? Yeah, I definitely feel the wear and tear towards the end of the game. But during the game, it's kind of just a next play mentality, so I don't really focus on that. But I definitely feel it the next day. I'll tell you that. Florida, let's start with the Stetson game. And we've already talked about this. Cameron Thomas came in. She was the league-leading scorer over 20 points per game in league play.

[26:16] You held her to three points. She finished with six points for the ball game. But just how much pride did you take in that defensive performance? Yeah, I mean, I think that I take pride in defense first. I like defense a lot. I think it's fun. I like to lock down the other team's best player. And that was my main focus going into that game. Just held her to, you know, I was like, I'm going to hold her below this number. And that was my goal the whole night.

And ideally, I would like to hold people nothing. But, you know, some people make good basketball plays. But, yeah, that was my focus for that game. And I'm proud of that. So you set a number? Yeah, sometimes, yeah. What was the number? I was like, if I can keep her for sure under 10, but I was like, I would like to keep her below, like, five. So, did you know or did you look at the box score afterwards to see just how well you'd done? No, I didn't.

Well, that's great. We won. Wait, the first time? Is that the first time or the second? Okay. So, that's the second game. Second game. Oh, they never won. No, I don't think I looked. Well, I think naturally the defensive side is going to come up for the FGCU game. But I want to first take a little sidebar, talk about the offense in the FGCU game. And Coach Whitaker alluded to this. A lot of the credit that Allie got from scoring was some of the plays that you set up with your passing.

Just talk about how things worked for you offensively and what you were able to do to kind of help make the offense go along. I mean, I really just kind of feel what's going. You know, like I'll drive in and people will collapse, and Allie has the quickest release I think I've ever seen. So, I just passed to her, and she's going to make it. But I just – let me see here. I mean, yeah, I don't really – I don't know. It just seemed to work. Yeah, it just seemed to work, I guess.

All right, a couple big moments. Let's talk about Jazzy Kling. Big rebound there on that final free throw. What's going through your mind as you see that happen? I was just excited because I saw her go up, and she got the rebound and the foul called, and I was like, okay. That made me feel good. And Jazzy played her tail ball, so I thought that it was great. Yeah, and walking through that whole fourth quarter, I mean, was there a moment there at the end of the third, things seemed to start building up, and then it just really shifted.

I mean, was there a moment there in the fourth quarter where you're like, okay, we got this, we're about to pull this off? Oh, yeah. Especially after Jazzy hit both of her free throws. I was like, yeah, we're winning. So Allie Alvarado was named ASUN Player and Youcomer of the Week, and it was the Queens game a week ago. She had a big moment. Chase Glover for us, he was on the radio broadcast. She had a crossover, and he yelled out, she dropped her, and it was kind of a big call.

They put it into the hype video and everything. Allie had another big crossover this past weekend where she stepped back, hit the three as well. You as players, Mike asked Coach about her perspective. You as players, you see something like that happen. Does it kind of fire you up a little more out there on the floor? Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, when stuff like that happens, you never want to be on the other end of things, for sure. I would never want to get crossed up.

But when your teammates do it, or if you do it, it's a great feeling. Let me ask this one, too. I feel like with a defensive-minded player, I may know the answer already, but a play like that's great. But what about a charge? I mean, does that almost fire you up more when one of your teammates takes a charge like that? Oh, yeah, especially Allie. I mean, because she's just fearless. There's big girls coming in there, and she just stands there and takes a charge, and then the ball's our possession, so it's awesome.

All right, take us through your mentality four games over the next eight days. You know, how do you get ready for this mentally? I mean, for me, I just have to take it day by day, like team by team. So, like, for Austin Peay, I'm all locked in on Austin Peay right now. And then after that, it's the next team because, I mean, we have a quick turnaround, and, you know, it's a grind because we're going to be traveling constantly. But I have no doubt in my mind that our team can handle it and be calm and composed and do what we have to do.

You've been at UNA a few years now. You played a lot of high school ball as well. Have you ever had a schedule like that where you've had to fly to three different cities in the span of a week? I can't say that I have. I've never been in this predicament before. But it feels almost like when you would play AAU and you'd have those, like, week-long tournaments, and then it would be sometimes there was, like, week-long ones back-to-back. But I never really did that much either, so.

Wednesday at home in the bank, then you're on the road for a little stretch. But every single home game, it's like there's a Katie Criswell fan club section, right? I know your high school coach was here this week, and you've always got family coming to watch you play. What's it like being in your backyard getting to play college basketball? Yeah, it's awesome. It's really cool because, you know, there will be people that I don't even know are coming, and they'll just show up because it's close enough and they can do that.

[31:21] And it's really cool because people get to come watch me play that I haven't seen in forever. And, yeah, it's really special. Well, Katie, let's wrap up with this. Four games in eight days. You guys are right there in the thick of it in the conference standings. How do you keep this momentum going forward? Just keep getting better at everything we're doing. Focus in on the teams and what we need to do. And, I mean, I think that we all want to win. So, I mean, I feel like that's what it boils down to.

Well, Wednesday at the bank, I know you'll have another big turnout of family and friends that can watch you play. Then the road trip. Best of luck, Katie. Thanks for stopping by. Thank you. We got Jazzy Kling up next. This is UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, All's Pizza's got you covered. We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza. Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor.

And nobody delivers like All's Pizza. Feed the team, fuel the fans. Go big with All's Pizza. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more. We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area, helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation. Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain. In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.

Please visit us at burnleychiro.com. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal? Yeah, this isn't that.

I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot. I just had to open a Bank Independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking, and have a positive balance. That's it. A 20% scholarship to UNA. When Bank Independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and the future of our community. Bank Independent. We're invested in your future. Member FDIC. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Hamp Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Got wine? Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine, and an unmatched selection of nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget, the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence. In the mood to relax and wind down?

Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers, all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie, and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere. Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market, located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater. Cheers! Here we go. Up next, Jazzy Kling, her second time here with us on a UNA basketball night from Lost Pizza Shoals from Overland Park, Kansas, a senior.

She was the star in North Alabama's win against Florida Gulf Coast. Eight points, ten rebounds, dished out four assists. She was four of six from the free throw line with some clutch shots at the end of the game. And Jazzy, a repeat customer down here at Lost Pizza Shoals. We appreciate you joining us. How good did it feel to get that dub in the bank? It felt great. I mean, I feel like we worked really hard for it. We earned it. I kind of mentioned this that night.

[36:26] It felt really good to kind of win right after you lose there, you know, get it back. So, a little inside basketball here. Mike, myself, some others, we'll have a little text group during the game of like, hey, who are we going to get for post-game media? And we were talking and we're like, well, we got to get Allie. And in the final two minutes, I was like, well, we might need to look at getting Jazzy on. It's Chase Glover, who did the sideline interview with you post-game.

He goes, I need her to have one more moment and then we'll put her on. And right on cue, you got the rebound off of the free throw at the end of the ball game, got fouled, hit the free throws. Take us through that final play, that push to grab that ball off the rim. I mean, to be honest, the rebound is easier for me than the free throws. As you can tell, I've been kind of struggling this year with that. But I don't know. I love free throw, rebounds, stuff like that.

The free throws, when it got to that, for me, I was just really trying to lock in, stepping up to the line. And, you know, you got to let the misses before go. You got to let everything else go and just live in the moment. Well, let's go back to those free throws a little bit. Does it feel like a big weight off your shoulders when those both go in? And I guess, how does the mood shift after you make the free throws? Absolutely. I mean, it was kind of funny, which coach kind of got a little mad at us because no one went to the huddle.

Like, I didn't even realize there was a timeout called for a minute. I got back on defense. And everyone was so happy for me because they know that I've been struggling with my free throws. And so once I hit them, everyone was already celebrating. And coach was like, hey, there's still a lot of basketball left to play. Like, you guys need to get in the huddle, play some defense. So it was kind of funny. Let's go back to that post-game interview as well with Chase. And we got to move the location because you guys do it right there with the speakers.

And I know it's hard to hear. And his last question that he asked you, I don't know what it was, but your response was, I can't really hear what you're saying right now, but I just want to go celebrate with my team. It was a great response. What was that celebration like in the locker room? It was great. I mean, we have great teammates. We're really starting to get close. And it's just, after a win like that, even when coach came down, like, chasing her down with my water bottle, like, it's just, yeah, I can't really hear what he's saying.

And then I also thought he was talking to Allie. So I was just not thinking of the interview at all. And I was just, I was ready to go down and celebrate with them. Yeah, we know all wins are good wins. But if you had to compare this one, where does it rank on your top list of wins since you've been at UNA? Since I've been at UNA, I mean, I think Central Arkansas last year still tops everything so far. But, I mean, there's a few that are up there.

It's just, it's always really nice to win those close games. Like, those are what I live for all the time. I just really like the ones that are very competitive the entire time. You're, maybe have a couple of lead changes at the end, stuff like that. Winners of five of the last six. And there's been so many great efforts from so many different players. But what do you feel like is really clicking for this group right now? Playing together. I mean, we, like you guys kind of mentioned before, foul trouble.

We have some adversity that hits us. And I feel like we are very good at bouncing back because we play together. Like I mentioned earlier about the post-game celebration, we're a very close group. And so, with us being that close, it's pretty easy for us to get through a lot of things. Dan and I are kind of stat nerds, obviously. I'll classify myself as that. I'm definitely one, too. Yeah, we're both stat nerds. And I want to go deep dive a little bit into your stat line.

Four steals, four assists, two turnovers. I think any time you have more assists and steals than turnovers, you've played a really good game. Is that kind of a point of pride for players? Like, hey, I had less turnovers than I had everything else. For sure. I mean, two turnovers is still kind of a little big. Like, in my opinion, just I'm going to remember those two. But, if anything, it just kind of helps you for the next game. Like, all right, this is what I need to do, what I need to work on.

And it's also just a good thing to kind of, like, focus on something that you maybe need to fix. So, but, I mean, of course, it's always better to have higher and other than numbers. Well, and you more than got them back with those four steals. Thanks. You're a veteran, you've played JUCO two years now here at North Alabama. Four games over the next eight days. I mean, what's your mentality heading into this busy stretch? I mean, just go out there and play. Like, Coach kind of mentioned how it's nice that we have direct flights, or as many as we can get.

And I think that's pretty important, too. I mean, you've got to travel and play with every away game. So, you just kind of look at it as a stretch of away games. And go take care of business on the road. And how does this team, last thing for you, keep this momentum going forward? Wait, what? Sorry. You want to go celebrate with your team right now, don't you? How do you guys keep this momentum going forward right now? I mean, we just keep doing what we're doing every single day.

[41:31] You don't really change anything up. You make sure, like, you're staying focused. You don't get too high, too low. And you just keep doing your job. Well, Jazzy, we appreciate you breaking it down with us. Wednesday night at the bank, we hope you'll come out and join the UNA women. Six o'clock, then they'll hit the road. I know you've got some wings and some pizza back over there. So, you can't go celebrate with your team, but you can go eat with your team right now. I'm ready for those wings, for sure.

Jazzy, thank you for stopping by. Thank you. Let's take a time out. We've got more to come. Tony Poole holds up next. This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered. We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza. Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza. Feed the team, fuel the fans. Go big with Lost Pizza.

Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy, effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more. We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area, helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation. Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain. In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients. Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.

Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan, or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard, or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Imagine a bank where you feel at home. Real people living right here in your community are the heart of Bank Independent and everything we do.

You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together that create a stronger community full of endless potential. For over 75 years, we've served this place we all call home. Bank Independent. We're invested in you. Member FDIC. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.

Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar. And 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

Prohibition is over. And the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st. Friday night sets its own with coupes, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music. Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience. Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party and Concert, featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band. Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com. Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.

Here we go. We're halfway there. Welcome back down to Lost Pizza here in historic downtown Florence. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel with you. And we got North Alabama head basketball coach Tony Pujol in the house. Coming off of a split, Lions dropped a tough road game to Florida Gulf Coast. Bounced back with a road dub against Stetson to get the season split with the Hatters. And, Coach, this is a team that's battled this year, and I know they really needed a win. How good did it feel on Saturday to see them finally get to celebrate?

Yeah, I think it's a great feeling, right, whenever you can go on the road in our league and get a win, especially with a team like Stetson, who's so well coached. Donnie Jones does a great job. Donnie and I go back a long time. My days as a high school coach in Miami, Florida, he was an assistant at Florida with Billy Donovan and, you know, guys like Anthony Grant, who I worked for at VCU at Alabama. Donnie was part of that staff that won two national championships.

[46:42] What is it about that area and that time, Coach, North Florida's interim coach? He was down there with you guys as well. It just feels like your era from that Miami high school basketball days has pumped out so many great coaches. Yeah, and I think it all started with Marco Shakey Rodriguez, who is a Hall of Famer in the state of Florida. He was one of the best high school coaches, one, I think, I can't even tell you how many state titles he won, but everybody that is out right now coaching from that area in the collegiate level, we were all mentored by Shakey.

Frank Martin, Anthony Grant, the list goes on and on, you know, just a bunch. We've just produced so many guys from down there, and Shakey was a big part of that. There's a 30 for 30 in there or something. There should be. Oh, no doubt. Well, there is. There's an ESPN movie about, it's called The Asylum, and it's Miami Senior High School, and it's dominance during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. You know, that might be a Roar Lions Forever type documentary, maybe. Who knows? Week, week. Well, anyway, Coach, going down to Florida, it's always special for you personally because you also have some family down there.

What's it like any time you get to go for the Florida Roach League? Yeah, and then the fun part is Jacksonville, right? So whenever we get to go to Jacksonville, my mom lives in Jacksonville, my brother, my two nephews. You know, it's always a great time to kind of visit with family while they're down there. My brother did make the trip down to Delan to watch us play against Stetson. But, yeah, I mean, that's where my roots are. You know, I grew up in South Florida.

I grew up in Miami. And, you know, in fact, I was just talking to the buyers. They were down in the Keys in Key West. And Patty told me that she just had a Cuban sandwich down in Key West, which that was kind of cool. But, yeah, there's just, again, Florida's home, and it feels good. Now, I will say this. The weather down there was ridiculously cold for Florida. When we left from Orlando flying back to Birmingham, it was 22 degrees. In fact, it was colder in Juneau, Alaska.

I mean, it was colder in Orlando, Florida than Juneau, Alaska that day. I think it was in the 30s in Juneau, and it was 22 in Orlando. Oh, wow. And, Coach, you had a lot of support there at Stetson. I was just talking to Sean Foley. He said there was, like, an alumni event almost there. But there's also one big alumni there, and Kevin Simmons, UNA fans will remember that name. He was a starting guard on UNA's 1991 national championship team. Played under head coach Gary Elliott. He reached out to Jeff Hodges during the week, said he wanted to come and bring his family.

But tell us about getting to interact with a UNA line legend like that. It was great, right, because he talked a lot about that team. He talked a lot about his teammates. Talked a lot about Coach Elliott, right, how special Coach Elliott was to him and how he kind of pushed him to be, thank you, pushed him to be, I mean, one of the best point guards in the area. So I just want you to know that it was a privilege to meet him. He had a lot of great stories, told a lot of great stories about Flowers Hall and, you know, the games against Valdosta State and Troy and, you know, all those programs.

You know, it was just, it was really cool to hang out with him for a while. Coach, let's take it to the court, man. A huge win to end that road swing against Stetson. Some big performances, and I think the ESPN interview you did at the end of the game, they started with Dante Bacchus and just how well he's done specifically against Stetson. But it seemed like in that game, definitely turned it on with those 23 points. I've been happy with Dante, especially those last two games.

He's, you could tell, there was a time there he was struggling a little bit. And to see him bounce back the way he did this weekend, I thought was really good. I thought he had a really good game against Florida Gulf Coast, and especially the game against Stetson. And for whatever reason, he's got Stetson's number. I think he scored 22 the first time and then 23 in the second. But that's Dante for you. I'm just glad that he got those two games under his belt, and I'm hoping that that momentum continues for him.

And how fitting was it that this team needed some guys to step up right? And it was the veterans, Dante Bacchus, who we just talked about. Cannon Jefferson, he's here. He had the double-double, 10 points, 10 assists. And then Dallas Howell, the sixth-year legend, four threes hit. He finished with 18 points. I mean, how proud are you of that group specifically for really raising the bar? You know, yeah, I'm really proud of the guys and the way they competed. But what I was most proud of is the way that they have kind of gone through some adversity but have stayed connected.

They've stayed, you know, they've stayed true to one another. They keep encouraging one another. I think Dallas, I think you're going to start seeing Dallas kind of making a little bit of a turn here because, again, you could just see how his teammates continue just believing him and get him the ball. I thought Cannon did a really great job of orchestrating and just doing a great job with our offense in that game to give out 10 assists, I think, almost broke the record. I think that was held by Jakari Lane last year.

[51:59] He had 11 or two years ago where he had 11 against Kansas State. So it just goes to show you when this team gets clicking, man, it could be a special group. Yeah, there was a lot of guys you just mentioned there. And Cornelius Williams kind of limited on scoring there but still had 10 rebounds. And you really felt his presence in that game. But probably really good for you to know that, you know, teams are probably zoning in on Neal and game planning around him. And you have other guys like Adante that could really open up and take advantage of that.

You know, that's been one of our MOs since we've been here, right? We've had guys that have averaged close to double-figure, like four or five guys that will always average close to double-figure points. So it's kind of hard to just focus in on one guy. But, you know, Cornelius is getting a lot of attention. And I think things will loosen up if, you know, like I said, if you get Dallas consistent on the perimeter, Cannon consistent on the perimeter, you know, guys like Kevin Dekovicic, if you get those guys consistent playing on the perimeter, it'll open things up for Neal even more.

Now those guys are starting to take advantage of those opportunities. So now we'll see how this whole thing balances out for them. You know, Coach, you just sent me down a deep wormhole there when you mentioned the K-State game. And I started just thinking about some of the memorable games. I say memorable, but the tough games that we've had over the years that just everything comes back. I remember every second of that K-State game. I go back to 2019, NJIT, a tough loss. You and I talk about it all the time.

They hit a half-court shot, right, to force overtime. How often do you get flooded with memories like that, not just from UNA, but all the way through your coaching career? Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, during the season, I really don't get caught up in it. But there are games that we play that will remind me of certain games, right? And I thought of this game, right? And the first game that came to my mind after the Stetson game was our game at San Francisco, right?

Just guys being able to hang in there and finish a game out. I thought, you know, when we played San Francisco, they hit two big threes down the stretch. And Ken and Jefferson came up with a tremendous shot at the end. And I thought there was a game that Dante really did a great job in that game. So to see our guys not only compete, have a lead, then have another team come back and make it close for them to hold on and finish the game.

I thought it spoke volumes of, again, the connectivity that this team has. By the way, I remember everything from that Kansas State game. I try to block it out as much as I can. That was such a heartbreaker at the end. And that headline photo kind of told the story. But we'll move on from that. But the last time a player had 10 assists before Cannon did was the Bellarmine game last year. That was Jakari had 10 assists in that game. And everything just really clicked and set the tone.

But, Coach, to kind of bring it back here, those three games on the road, you've got two more to finish this five-game road swing. How hard is it to play five on the road without a home game there to break it up? Yeah, it's not fun. It's not easy. Right? But it's part of the deal. And the cool thing about it is we focus a game at a time anyway. So for us, road or away, it doesn't matter. Our focus right now is just continuing to build, right?

Just brick by brick right now. Grind it out. Make sure that we continue to grow as a team and put ourselves in the best position possible come March when we start to play in the tournament. And it starts at Central Arkansas, one of the top teams in the league, and then go on the road to go up against first-place team, Austin Peay. I think these are two games that are going to really kind of show our team what the expectations are as far as our growth is concerned.

You know, Coach, we've got four games in the next eight days. It's going to be a grueling stretch, but also it's probably a stretch that these guys love because it's nothing but basketball for eight days. Yeah, they do love that, right? Less practice and more games. That's what they're going to enjoy doing. But, you know, for us right now, you know, we're locking in on Central Arkansas. They're going to be a handful. I mean, that's just the way it is. They're going to be a handful, and we know that.

So that's where our focus lies right now. Yeah, and Cameron Hunter, what he's done there, and some of the other players they have, almost, you would probably say, maybe the most improved team in the league. No doubt. And Coach Shulman just does a great job. Coach Shulman and I, and Coach, in fact, Coach Ahmad Smith and I were assistant coaches at App State when Coach Shulman was the head coach at Chattanooga. And, man, he always had one of the best teams in the SOCON at that time.

When I heard he got the job at UAH, I thought that was a great hire for UAH. And then when he got the job at Central Arkansas, I thought it was a great hire. He's just really an extremely talented coach, understands who to recruit to the program and the way they play. So, you know, again, he made our conference better once he joined Central Arkansas. And, Coach, not to look too far ahead because we've got a lot of basketball in between, but Sunday, February 15th, Eastern Kentucky.

[57:06] And Eastern Kentucky, it's always a great game with them, but more, not more importantly, but the big story for that game, it's the ESPNU game. The Atlantic Sun gets one game a year on one of the big ESPN channels. And this year, UNA was chosen to host ESPNU, 3 o'clock, national broadcast. I mean, how big is this for this program, this community, this university? I mean, it kind of tells you the story. And this, to me, it's even beyond basketball. To me, it's getting a game like that here at home is, it goes back to the decision that the university made 10 years ago to go Division I, right?

The vision of President Kitts to make that decision. The whole board of trustees, you know, the executive council, the athletic department, making that commitment. And I think what it does is, I think it validates that decision, right? It validates the decision because now the rest of the world will get to see firsthand, you know, what it's like in this community. And I'll tell you this, I was very proud of the way last year our folks came out during the run that we made in the postseason.

But I've been more impressed with the way that this community has continued to support our players, our programs, good or bad, right? And I think that tells up even a better story of what the Florence community is all about. It's about supporting young people and making sure that they understand that no matter what, these fans are going to be behind them. And we know they're always behind you, Coach. And a big stretch coming up, four games over the next eight days. Central Arkansas Wednesday, Austin Peay Saturday, then the home run picks up next Monday, Central Arkansas next Wednesday, West Georgia, then next Sunday, Eastern Kentucky.

Busy stretch, Coach, nothing we'd rather do than hang out with UNA basketball, so we're looking forward to it. Thank you. Let's take a timeout. Hey, one more note. That game, 2,500 white t-shirts that are going to be available, so if it's a sellout, everybody's going to get a white t-shirt, so definitely be at that game on the 15th. There you go, that's worth the price of it. There you go. Come out, get a white t-shirt, be on ESPNU. Let's take a timeout. We've got some players coming up next.

This is UNA basketball night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 to score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, All's Pizza's got you covered. We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza. Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like All's Pizza. Feed the team, feel the fans. Go big with Lost Pizza. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy, effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.

We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area, helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation. Therapies coupled with dry needleing can help with sugar point and muscular pain. In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients. Please visit us at burnleyciro.com. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal? Yeah, this isn't that. I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot. I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking, and have a positive balance. That's it. A 20% scholarship to UNA.

When bank independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and the future of our community. Bank independent. We're invested in your future. Member FDIC. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Hamp Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Got wine? Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine and an unmatched selection of nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget, the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence.

[1:02:50] In the mood to relax and wind down? Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers, all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie, and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere. Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market, located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater. Cheers! WITK Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, the Shoals. Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. Valley Broadcasting Corporation. The tables have turned. Cannon Jefferson is taking over the show.

He's going to interview Mike and I here on UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence. North Alabama's top scorer on the season in A-Sun play had a double-double on Saturday in the win against Stetson, 10 points, 10 assists. Cannon, we were talking off-air about food, and you dove into the wings. Here tonight, always good pizza choices. But from Louisiana, big alligator fan? I do. I have gotten some alligator down in Louisiana, New Orleans. Just another good piece of chicken. Honestly, that's what it is.

Is there anything up here that takes you back home? I'm going to be honest. I haven't found it yet, but that's okay. I haven't found it, and it's all right. I'll tell you what. I found out tonight, back to Lost Pizza, that golden flavor wing. I'm hearing multiple people have gotten that tonight, and that's kind of my favorite wing saw, so I might have to try that out tonight. Yes, sir. I agree. Let me know how it is. I got you. I got you. Cannon, a big win on Saturday.

This team's been through a lot this year, but how good did it feel for this group to finally get to celebrate one in the locker room? It was good, just to get back in the win column, celebrate with the guys, and just kind of take a step forward in the right direction. I got to ask the obvious question. First career double-double, 10 assists. I mean, that had to feel pretty good. They're moving the ball that well and knowing that, hey, that's a good sign that the offense was working.

It was. It was. We had a good flow. We had a good connection out there on Saturday. We're just moving the ball as a team. I was put in position to make the right plays, and I had opportunities to hit the open teammate, and that's just what I did. 10 assists. I mean, we talk about how it feels when somebody scores a lot of points, to dish out a lot. I mean, God, you're counting for almost 20-something points in that ball game, right? How did it feel when you saw the box score 10 assists?

It was good. Coach TP at one media timeout told me I had six, and I didn't really realize, but when he said that, I kind of started keeping count in my head a little bit. I went to Dallas Howe at a free throw line. I said, you want to do me a favor? And he said, what's that? And I said, can you help me get 10 assists? So I just kept passing it to him. He kept shooting with confidence, and yeah, he just helped me get there.

So how many of the 10 went to Dallas, do you think? He hit six shots, I think. I'm not sure, but he definitely helped him, and Dante were definitely big, big parts on that 10 assist, and I thank them for that. Yeah, I can tell you this. I know that the three-pointers you probably helped with, possibly all of them, I do know that there was one play where Dallas kind of pump faked, and then he drove the lane, and you don't always see that, and got an early and one opportunity.

And then Dante, he's here tonight. Talk about your teammate a little bit, and two career highs against Stetson, 23 points in that game. What did he do to really impact that game? Dante kind of just found his rhythm. I was just kind of hitting him in the gaps. Stetson went zone, and I was just trying to find him. He was finishing well, and I was just trying to get it to him as much as I can, just feed the hot hand, honestly. Speaking of hot hands, Dallas Howell, his sixth year here at North Alabama, you've played all three years with him.

What kind of teammate has he been throughout your time here? He's a leader. Dallas just wants the best for everyone, individually and team-wise, and that's always a great teammate to have. Good locker room guy, good energy, good spirit. Just a positive, older vet that you can just lean on whenever you're kind of getting your head a little bit. Yeah, a lot of lead changes in that Stetson game. I think it changed eight times, and the score was tied seven times. It got very testy there late, but held on and got the big win, but I'm looking at the minutes.

38 for Dante, 38 for Dallas, 38 for yourself, 36 for Neal. I mean, you guys are taking on a big load there. I mean, what is that like for you to try to balance it, knowing you're probably only coming out once or twice at that point? Just really trying to do whatever we can to win. I mean, whether that's high 20 minutes, low 30, high 30, it doesn't really matter. Whatever coach has us instructed to do, just go out there and just compete and follow what we need to do to get the win.

You know, we talk about confidence a lot, right? And this team's had a tough go. You've been in a lot of tight games as well, but there's still nine more conference games to go. What do you feel like this group's confidence is at right now as we get set for the home stretch? We're good. I mean, we're just trying to stay together. It's a long, basketball's a long season. You're going to have ups and downs with it, but as long as we just stay connected through it all, we're just ready to push through tournament time.

[1:07:52] Just kind of keep building confidence, get momentum going in the right direction, and get ready for that tournament, honestly. Cannon, we've been on the road a lot, and by the time we finish this thing and we get to Monday, February 9th, it's going to be 23 days away from CB&S Bank Arena. How much are y'all missing playing at home right now? I miss it a lot, honestly. Just being on the road, traveling hotel to hotel, going to other people's gyms. I just miss the bank, honestly.

Miss playing in front of our fans, community. I miss it, and I'm excited to get back. I mean, this road stretch, Charlotte, North Carolina, that was a good flight, though. The Muscle Shoals flight, you can't beat that. Time down in Florida, and you go down to Florida, you want some sun, and you guys had cold weather, just like we had cold weather. Long trip to Conway, and you're going straight to Clarksville after that. I mean, what is life like for you guys on the road? It's a lot.

You just got to stay focused, honestly. Just the traveling, the long bus rides. It's just a different atmosphere, different city each day, each weekend, and you just got to stay focused, honestly. Now, who on the team do you know? It's like, okay, they're bringing the entertainment. Our young guys. They're just excited for the trip, excited for the plane rides, excited for the bus rides. So our young guys, Braylon, Cortez, bring energy, bring the comedy on the bus ride when kind of the older guys are a little tired, want to take a nap.

They're there to get us laughing a little bit. Mike, that sounds like us traveling with the young boys in the back that go with us. They bring the entertainment, that's for sure. And Brandy G's up here throwing his hands up. Not me, but yeah, it is actually. It's Brandy G and the boys in the back. We have a lot of fun. But I'm glad to hear that the young guys are bringing the juice. And Cannon, I can't remember if it was you or if it was somebody else we had on the show, but we asked who the life of the team is, the life of the party, the funniest on the team.

And I remember them saying the freshman. It might have been you. I can't remember. Yeah, I am a fan of the freshman. They're my guys. They're funny. Braylon, Cortez, they're just good, positive energy to be around. They kind of just uplift everyone and just keep the positivity rolling. And what's it like for you? I mean, you were once that young guy coming up with older veterans on the team. What's it like for you now that that role is kind of reversed? It's kind of interesting to look at.

I kind of look at myself and kind of see Braylon a little bit. My freshman year, I was kind of brought up around guys like Jakari Lane, K.J. Johnson. I was always at their apartment just playing the game, laughing, joking. And that's kind of Braylon I see in myself. He's kind of always at my place, eating all my food, just walks in, just goes straight to the refrigerator. But it's my guy, and I just kind of see myself in him a little bit. What's he taking?

What's his go-to in your refrigerator? My mom came and cooked the other weekend and left a lot of food for me, and Braylon kind of helped me clean it out a little bit. She left it for you and Braylon. Yeah. Yes, yes, sir. And Braylon was happy to oblige. I remember Braylon had a pretty good play in that Stetson game. I think it was kind of a pass. It's like a no-looker to Neil. I don't know if anybody saw it in real time, but watching it on the broadcast, it seemed like a pretty big play.

Do you remember that one at all? I do. Braylon, Braylon's going to go out there. He's confident. I've been telling him, because that's kind of the main thing when you're young, new team, college, just confidence kind of. You can sometimes question it a little bit, and I just told him to go out there and have fun. He's here for a reason, and he goes out there and just plays his game, plays confident, and that's just what we need. And I want to ask you about one more play.

You went one from six behind the arc, but that one was a huge one. It came as the shot clock was ticking down, and it's almost like, man, you've got to get rid of that ball, and you were really far behind the arc, but you sunk that thing like there was a ton of time on the shot clock, but what kind of pressure goes in, and what's going through your brain? Do you know how much time's left? How do you figure that out, and what happens when you have to fire it up?

Yeah, when you're just passing the ball around for so long, you start to question, all right, what's the shot clock? So I just look up, and I seen two seconds, and I just got ready to launch it, and I didn't. Gladly it went in. It was kind of a relief to have that go in, but yeah, it was interesting. Out of all the shots I took from beyond the arc, that one goes in, but it is what it is. It feels, I was just looking, you've hit 28 threes this year, and it feels like most of those have come with about five seconds on the shot clock.

Yeah, they're kind of just prayers, honestly, just coming off late shot clock, just throwing it up, and they go in. As long as they go in, it's good. Okay, now let's wrap it up with this. Four games over the next eight days, a lot of basketball to play here in February as we lead up to the ASUN tournament in March, the first week of March. I mean, how does this team build off of Saturday and start finding some momentum? Just keep building off that win, honestly.

Just keep growing. Every pregame is just grow. Take a step forward, and that's kind of what we did. I mean, just keep staying together, honestly, just have fun, have fun playing with each other, enjoy the moment, and just take it day by day, honestly. Not even just on game days, practices, everything, just day by day. Cannon, as always, we appreciate you stopping by, and Mike and I will be with you Wednesday in Central Arkansas, and we're excited for this run, man. Best of luck. Keep it going.

[1:13:00] Thank y'all. Thank y'all. That's Cannon Jefferson. Coming up next, Dante Bacchus is in the house. We got more fun to go. This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered. We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza. Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations. Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza. Feed the team, fuel the fans. Go big with Lost Pizza.

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Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

Prohibition is over. And the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st. Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music. Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience. Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party and Concert, featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band. Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com. Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.

We're not done yet. Some more UNA basketball talk here from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and Dante Bacchus up next. But before we get to Dante, don't forget the Lions Athletic Club. The marquee event, the dinner and auction this year will be Tuesday, May 19th, 2026. It's a change-up from the August date to May date this year. Ozzie Newsome, the speaker. If you're in the house tonight, I have some table options if you want to take a look at those. And, of course, for more information, you can go to RoarLions.com or reach out to Megan Dye.

Mike's got a nice write-up on the website as well. But we hope you'll join us. Ozzie Newsome, Tuesday, May 19th, 2026, the UNA Lion Pride Dinner and Auction. So we'll kind of wrap up a year instead of kicking off a year. So it should be a good night hearing from one of the all-time greats out of the NFL and college football, Mike. Yeah, that's right. From Calvert County, Muscle Shoals nearby. And just a legend. Played with the Cleveland Browns for a long time and has been an NFL front office member for the Baltimore Ravens for many, many years.

And obviously a busy offseason for him with the new hire of a coach. But excited to have him back where he's at home in the Shoals talking with all the great folks at UNA. We've got a great UNA basketball player with us, Dante Bonk is one of UNA's top scorers. Had a pair of 20-point performances, 21 points, 8 rebounds against Florida Gulf Coast. Followed that up with 23 points and 7 rebounds against Stetson in the win. We thought he was going to be A-Sun Player of the Week. He's our A-Sun Player of the Week this week.

[1:18:23] Dante, man, how did it feel to get that W this weekend down in Stetson? Oh, man, it just felt great, you know what I'm saying. The year has been going, you know, how we wanted. But what I just love about this team is every day we just come in with high energy, just, you know, do whatever it takes to just get better. You know what I'm saying? I feel like we have really been connected recently, and I just love playing with these guys. So I'm just excited to just go from here.

You know, it is kind of fun. Ben kind of set this up, you know, talking about the Player of the Week thing. And I know that you guys don't really think about that as much as maybe we do. But I do have a fun fact because I always try to find something that stands out to present our candidate. And the thing that stood out with you, you break down the last two games of the week, the top ten for points, rebounds, and blocks. There's only one player in the top ten for all three of those average per game, this guy right here.

You did a lot of things this week with your defense. And how does it feel to know that, like, you thrived in those three categories, and those three are pretty major? It feels good. You know what I'm saying? Me, I just try to do whatever it takes for the team. You know what I'm saying? Putting the ball in the hoop, rebounding, defending, just anything that it takes to just win for my team. So that's good to know. You look at that win against Stetson, you had 23.

Dallas had 18. Cannon, the 10 and 10, the double-double. And wouldn't you know it, you guys are the longest-tenured dudes. Like, you're the old dude now, right? Yeah, yeah, that's great. What was it about that group stepping up in that moment? Oh, man, it just felt good, like I said. It was just kind of being the older group, you know what I'm saying? We just kind of got that connection. I'm just so glad how D. Howard played, man. It's just so, you know, it's just a good experience just being out there and having fun, seeing him a smile, and Cannon, man.

Like I said, him being the true point guard, getting those 10 assists, that double-double, that's a great accolade for him. So I'm just happy for my guys that they're just out there just having fun. It's kind of funny. Cannon was talking about at one media timeout. I think it was Coach that told him, hey, you got six right now. Yeah. Was there kind of a feeling with everybody else on the team, like, okay, Cannon's got this many assists, or do you all ever think about that at all?

Or how does that usually go? To be honest, I actually had no clue that he had – I knew he was making some good dishes, you know what I'm saying? Usually he'd do that pretty good, but I actually had no clue he was close to getting 10 assists, you know what I'm saying? I probably would have maybe took a few more shots from him if I knew he was that close. But he still got it done, just us playing together as a team and us being connected. So kudos to him for that.

Now, the announcers were talking about this on air, so I can definitely ask you this. What is it about you playing Stetson and having big games? I don't know, maybe – I think it's just – I know I had my career high on them both times. I think it's just, like I said, my teammates just put me in the right position. Them running that zone, like I said, Cannon, the Cove of B****. Even I give credit to Neil. He's a really good passer out there. Post, I feel like some people don't acknowledge that.

I got to give it to my teammates. They put me in those positions to give me the ball to even get those, you know what I'm saying, career high. So I ain't going to take the credit for that. I got to give it to my teammates for sure. Now, you have some great passers on this team, but you have great hands. Some of these passes that you catch, I mean, they're bullets, they're bounce passes. I mean, that feels like an underrated part of your game. Yeah, I feel like, you know what I'm saying, me playing multiple sports.

I did use to play football and stuff, baseball. I feel like, you know what I'm saying, just being an athlete just kind of runs in the family. So maybe just got passed down from my, you know what I'm saying, maybe my mom or dad, you know what I'm saying, for me to have hands like that. You know, when you have these high-scoring games, like go back to North Florida last year. I think you went 9-13 in this game with Stetson, 9-14. I mean, the New Year's Day game against Stetson, it just seemed like everything was working.

Do you ever, like, realize, like, early in the game, like, hey, I'm in a rhythm right now. Shots just seem to be falling. Does it ever set in for you in a game like this? Oh, yeah. Sometimes, you know what I'm saying, I just kind of go into the beginning game, I'm like, man, I'm kind of getting to my spots and stuff. Like I said, that all goes to my teammates. They're putting me in that position. It's not like I'm just doing everything by myself. Cannon, you know what I'm saying, being a real point guard, putting me in the position.

The how is getting me in the mix. Everybody is just getting me in the mix for me to have those type of games like that. Four games in the next eight days. We all hear that. Well, you just said, oof, we all hear that. Man, that's a lot of basketball. Are you guys kind of excited about it as well? Oh, yeah. I definitely am excited for it, you know what I'm saying. I love basketball. The one I'm definitely looking forward to the most is that Austin Peay game, you know what I'm saying, just some stuff from last year.

Like I said, I'm excited just to be on the road with this team and just, you know what I'm saying, hopefully get some wins. Let's go back to Saturday. Obviously, we're in the midst of a pretty big road stretch, but in the midst of that as well, 38 minutes for you, 38 minutes for Dallas, 38 minutes for Cannon, 36 for Neal. You guys are playing a lot right now, and how do you go, I ask this to Cannon, how do you balance that as you get this late in the season when you're playing a lot of minutes, not really coming off the court a whole lot?

I feel like what's most important is what we're doing just kind of off the court, how we're just taking care of our bodies and, you know what I'm saying, making sure we're doing the right thing. I feel like that's the hardest thing TP kind of is on us about, like, what are you doing off the court? So for us to be able to just play those hard minutes when needed, it's just us just doing the right things off the court, getting enough sleep, make sure we're eating the right things, and just make sure we're just doing everything correct.

[1:23:23] And I was going to get you to kind of deep dive into that. What does that look like? Because the games are the easy part, right? Yeah. You say off the court, what is it like? For me, I say it's probably just a lot of sleeping, a lot of sleeping, treatment, and just eating. I'll just leave it at that. Sleeping and eating is probably the main things I do off the court. Us traveling with you guys, what impresses me the most is how quickly you guys can fall asleep.

Yes. You guys can sleep anywhere, on a bus, in an airport, in a hotel, on a couch. It's a remarkable talent. Yeah, I might say I fall asleep, you know, anywhere. I just be so tired. Like I said, all this traveling, going from hotel to hotel, then having practice, it does get a little overwhelming, but, say, the biggest thing is just sleeping. Speaking of that, I know you guys are obviously one game at a time, so Central Arkansas is the focus. But five games in a row on the road, 23 days away from CB&S Bank Arena.

How much are you guys missing the hometown crowd right now? Oh, a lot. Like, I was just talking to one of them, man. I haven't played at home in a month, so I'm definitely excited to just be back in the bank, you know what I'm saying? Students come out, be in the vault, and just have that atmosphere. I really love playing that atmosphere, so excited to be back at home. It's really been a strange home schedule where you guys had one game at home, right? Or you didn't play at home in the month of December.

No, not at all. Came home January, and it was New Year's, so a lot of people were gone. You had the snow, the winter storm that delayed one game. But February 15th, we got a game against Eastern Kentucky on ESPNU, and you remember what those postseason crowds were like. How excited are you to see you get that opportunity to play on the big stage, but for you and A fans to have the opportunity to be on the big stage? Yes, I'm definitely excited. Like, the EKU game, I'm definitely looking forward to it.

I know it's a wide-out game and stuff, too. So, like I said, I know it's going to be a good crowd. I love how this community just supports us. I don't think they realize how much they truly do mean for them just having that support. Like I said, T.P. always says they wait after the game for us to win or loss, so we just love that it's always there, just supporting us, you know what I'm saying, going through, dapping them every game. So, like I said, I just love UNA overall.

It's got to feel good to know the nation's going to get to see that. February 15th, 2,500 free T-shirts that are going to be wiped, sponsored by CB&S Bank. So, everybody, if we sell it out, is going to get a T-shirt. And going back to those sellouts back in the tournament last year, how much does that environment really drive this team, and how much of an advantage is that compared to – because obviously when you're playing at home, it's always an advantage. Yeah. But playing in front of a crowd like that.

I feel like it's a huge advantage, man. Sometimes I just kind of go back and look at the games last year, just the crowd we had, you know what I'm saying, in the postseason. It was just – it just meant a lot, and that really just motivated and got us going, you know what I'm saying, hit a big three, or Cornelius getting a huge dunk and just hearing the – you know what I'm saying, the crowd erupt, man, really gets us going. So, I'm excited, like I said, be back at home, excited for the West Georgia game at home, EKU game, just playing in front of the crowd.

All right, it continues this week. We'll start Wednesday at Central Arkansas. And, Dante, how can this team kind of keep up the momentum moving forward? Just staying together, like I said, just taking it day by day, you know what I'm saying. It's going to be times where we're down. It's going to be times where we're up, you know what I'm saying. And as long as we just keep that connection and stay together, that's – you know what I'm saying? That's what's going to keep us together. Well, Dante, we appreciate you stopping by.

It's a big stretch coming up for you guys. Yes, sir. Hey, we're ready for it. Yes, sir. Thank you. That's Dante Bacchus. Well, that's going to do it. So, a couple of programming notes. We will be back with you next Tuesday. So, we can't have a Monday show because the UNA men and women are both playing. The women will be on the road. The men will be at home. So, we're going to call an audible Tuesday night here at Lost Pizza Shoals. 6 p.m. is when we're going to start the show.

The UNA men will be here, and we're going to have some special guests as well that we're going to work on booking from within the UNA Athletic Department, try to get some baseball and some softball. Because, Mike, we also need to plug baseball. Softball will start this weekend. Ashley Cozart's 13th season. But, baseball, next weekend, 13th, 14th, 15th, they open up Bank Independent Field, Mike D. Lane Field. We had the soft opening last year. Well, this year, everything's ready. Scoreboard, video board, all the bleachers. Not a bad seat in the house.

You've got the purple monster up there, purple pulpit, which is a great seat. Great seats inside the house. But, talk about a monumental weekend next week. Yeah, the grand opening. So, you talked about the soft launch last year. We had those games with the construction going on. Well, it's completely done. The keys have been turned over. We're ready to host a real baseball game with all the amenities. So, come out February 13th. That's the Friday opener at 3 o'clock. Then, Saturday will be the ribbon cutting and all the great things right there, the first pitch.

That'll be at 2 o'clock Saturday, then 1 o'clock Sunday. It's going to be a great weekend. Hopefully, the weather cooperates. Then, going back to softball this week, they start down in Troy with the big tournament. So, we are in the spring. We kind of got that crossover going on right now. Basketball's right in the heart of it. Ben, this is an exciting time to open a new stadium. And thinking about the football schedule that went out today, you've got the opening of Bank Independent Stadium in September. Man, what an exciting time to be a UNA Lion.

[1:28:37] You only get one shot to be a part of a stadium opening. And the first opening will be next Friday. Come on out. Saturday will be the big shebang. And then, of course, Sunday, the finals game of that series. But also, that'll be the game on ESPNU. So, a busy stretch coming up for both basketball teams. Four games over the next eight days. UNA Women at home Wednesday, 6 o'clock. Make your plans. Mike and I will be with the UNA men in Conway as they take on Central Arkansas.

So, busy stretch coming up. Be sure to visit RoarLions.com to keep up with it all. So, that's going to do it for us. We appreciate Dante Bacchus sticking around overtime for that little wrap-up right there. Thanks to everybody for coming out. Thanks to Brayden, Eli, Grant, and Ty running the show in-house. They do a great job. Thanks for Blair back at the station. For Chuck, Greg, Thornton, Mikey, Zekio, I'm Benjamin Wright. You've been listening to UNA Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company featuring Coach Candy Whittaker and Coach Tony Poole.

UNA Basketball Night has been brought to you by Lost Pizza, Bank Independent, Burnley Spine and Sport, Renaissance Eye Care, The Carriage Wine and Market, Alabama Health Guidance, and Singing River Brewery. Thanks for listening and Roar Lions. We'll be right back.

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