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 It's time for UNA Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company featuring Coach Candy Whittaker and Coach Tony Pujol.

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 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.

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 Now live from Lost Pizza Company in historic downtown Florence, here's the voice of the UNA Lions, Benjamin Ray.

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 Hello and welcome back down to Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence for another week of UNA Basketball Night.

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 Benjamin Ray and Mike Ezekiel with you, ready to take you inside the men's and women's programs at the University of North Alabama.

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 It's a football national championship night. We've got the game on here at Lost Pizza Shoals.

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 So, Mike, it's the best of both worlds. You get some football on the TVs and some UNA Basketball talk.

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 You know, Ben, I've got to be honest with you, I kind of forgot the national championship game was tonight because I was so excited to be here at Lost Pizza tonight for UNA Basketball Night.

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 It's always fun. Big game, obviously, going on right now, but glad that you're all here watching this and excited to talk some basketball.

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 The UNA women, they'll be up first.

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 We've got Shayla Sheetal in the house filling in for North Alabama head coach Candy Whitaker.

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 And, Mike, they're coming off of two big road wins, a defensive stand to beat North Florida, and then an offensive showcase to down Jacksonville.

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 Yeah, two amazing wins. And not only that, but to do it on the road, that North Florida team, a lot better than they were last year.

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 So, a very gritty win. And then in Jacksonville, just to see what happened.

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 And the two girls we're going to talk to tonight were instrumental in that win.

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 We saw, a lot of us saw, 37 minutes from Allie Alvarado, 37 points. That's a point per minute.

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 Very impressive performance. So big that it made some national headlines.

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 And then Gabby Jackson had a double-double, the big shot to win the game.

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 So, excited to talk to them about this win.

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 And, Ben, it's exciting on the women's side right now.

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 EKU is 6-0 at the top of the league.

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 They've beaten everybody pretty handily except for one team.

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 And that's North Alabama. It came down to the final shot.

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 So, really excited to see how this team competes as we get more further into conference play.

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 How about six teams tied for fourth place in the standings over on the women's side?

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 North Alabama, Austin Peay, Jacksonville, Stetson, Central Arkansas, and Lipscomb.

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 And the best thing is you pretty much get a shot at every single one of those again moving forward.

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 Yeah, and you look at those top three, too.

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 EKU, a close game with UNA.

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 FGCU, a very close game with UNA.

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 And then you've got West Georgia, a team that UNA will still get to play.

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 And then you talked about that logjam of three and three teams.

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 I really like where UNA is right now.

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 And as you get into February, you really see who separates from the bunch as you play for seeding.

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 And I think this team can really contend.

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 We saw what happened at the end of last season with that win over Central Arkansas.

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 And what we're seeing this season has been really impressive.

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 The men suffered two tough losses to North Florida and Jacksonville at home inside of CBNS Bank Arena.

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 Mike, it hasn't gone the way that we expected out of the gate.

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 But you look at the conference standings early on, there's still a lot of room for this UNA team to bounce back.

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 Yeah, really hard to sugarcoat it.

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 It was just a really tough weekend for the basketball program here on the men's side.

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 But Dallas Howell, excited to hear from him tonight because he said that I've been part of some one-in-five teams here at UNA.

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 Everything that kind of happened after that, after we figured it out, it all seemed to get better.

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 It all seemed to get fixed.

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 So there's still plenty of time in this season to get it figured out.

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 I think these men could do it.

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 And we've got to remember that there's ten players on that team that have a ring from last season that kind of remember that feeling.

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 And they are motivated to start fixing this thing.

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 And as we go into February, get some wins.

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 It was just two years ago.

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 We started one-in-five on the men's side and then knocked off Kennesaw State on the road to win five straight.

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 And that really got things going.

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 That's the year K.J. Johnson hit the buzzer beater against Lipscomb.

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 And at the end of the day, it's all about how you're playing once that tournament rolls around, which this year will be down in Jacksonville, Florida.

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 And I think you got it pulled up.

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 Remind me, I think in that same year after that Kennesaw win, it was a five-game win streak to get above 500 or maybe right to 500.

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 I mean, it can change in an instant.

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 And I know that some of the teams at the top, like Queens on Wednesday, they're not comfortable with 6-0.

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 They want to keep winning.

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 Austin Peay and Lipscomb, they're not comfortable at 5-1.

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 They want to keep winning.

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 So you get a team like North Alabama that's hungry to win, you got to be careful and you got to be ready.

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 Coach Pujol talks about that all the time.

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 You got to be ready every single day because there's no easy games in the A-Sun.

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 Well, we'll get into it.

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 We'll take our first time out.

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 We'll be back after this.

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 This is UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

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 Cheers!

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 We're off and running down here at Lost Pizza Shoals, UNA Basketball 9 on 93.9 The Score.

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 Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and we're welcome to have a long-time listener, first-time guest.

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 Joining us next, North Alabama assistant coach Shayla Sheedle.

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 And, Coach, thanks so much for joining us.

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 Two road dubs.

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 How good of a feeling was it to go down to Jacksonville and knock off North Florida and Jacksonville?

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 Oh, it was a really good week for us.

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 We're excited, and we're hoping that the girls continue to compete

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 and just bring the same competitive energy that they had this past week.

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 What stood out in the two road games?

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 Because it is so hard to win on the road.

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 It doesn't matter what league you're in.

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 It definitely is hard to win on the road.

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 I would say that our defense really stood out this past week.

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 Our girls, their effort on the floor, getting multiple stops in a row just really helped us come out on top.

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 Yeah, only 54 points allowed in that North Florida win, really grinding that one out.

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 And then Saturday, just coming up with defense when needed, and it worked out perfect to get that win.

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 I want to throw a softball to you first before we talk a lot of basketball.

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 We have a lot of Kansas, you know, Midwest influence on this show.

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 I can think of at least three people that have said they're Chiefs fans, including Gabby, who's here tonight.

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 Are you a Chiefs fan as well?

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 I am a Chiefs fan.

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 Go Chiefs!

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 We've got so many, Dr. Looney, Gabby, Coach Whitaker, yourself, and a lot of good basketball comes from there as well.

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 For sure.

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 Big Chiefs fan.

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 Well, I apologize because I'm a big Broncos fan, and there's only one team playing right now, so I wasn't going to bring it up, but Mike went there.

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 Hey, I'll let you have it this year.

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 We need it.

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 It's been a rough couple of years.

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 Let's talk about the win over North Florida, and you mentioned the defense, and it was Sophia Cipolletti, right, with the block, I guess, to seal the game.

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 Take us through that and the great play that she made.

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 Oh, well, you know, Sophia's played really good for us lately, and just her length, it's really hard, you know, playing against length like that, and she just came out on top for us, being disciplined and getting that stop that we really needed.

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 How thrilling is it to get a win like that on a defensive stand?

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 Hey, it puts a stamp on everything that coach has been preaching to the girls, where it's going to start on the defensive end for us, and then defense wins games.

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 Yeah, defense certainly won that game, and then a lot of offense needed in Saturday's win.

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 83-79 win at Jacksonville really came down to that final minute.

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 I remember it being halftime of the men's game.

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 A lot of people started huddling around the TVs as you guys were kind of in that final minute.

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 We saw Gabby shot.

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 We saw the big stop at the end.

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 I mean, how exciting was that, and just to see the offense kind of pick up in that game?

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 Oh, for sure.

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 You know, the atmosphere that our team brought for that game, having big scores from Allie and Gabby, it was just really exciting to see the girls out there having fun and doing the thing that they love to do.

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 Let's start with Allie first.

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 She's in the house.

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 We're going to hear from her again momentarily.

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 37 points.

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 That's the second most scored by an A-Sun player this season.

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 Yes, big round of applause for her.

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 And out of that 37 points, I got the wrong box score pulled up.

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 She was 10 of 18 from the field, 4 of 8 from 3, 13 of 15 from the free throw line, and she dished out four assists.

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 I know you worked closely with the guards.

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 What was working so well for her?

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 Hey, Allie was unstoppable Saturday.

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 There was nothing and no one that was going to get in her way.

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 She was going to have her way, whether that was getting to the basket or whether that was knocking down outside shots for her.

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 So she had a remarkable game.

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 Two things about Allie's game that stood out to me, just looking at the box score, 13 for 15 at the free throw line and made all four of the last four to kind of ice the game.

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 Second thing, three blocks.

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 I mean, what was she doing defensively to make that work?

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 What wasn't she doing?

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 She was all over the place.

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 Well said.

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 Yeah, her defensive stigma and just her want to not let anybody score the ball was just, she was very tenacious.

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 What's it say about this team?

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 I mean, at one point, four starters were outright that they've been able to kind of come together.

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 You've had a different player step up every single week, and all of a sudden, you're right back there in the mix of things in terms of the conference standings early on.

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 Hey, what we've talked about as a staff, you know, our conference, there's nobody who's going to outright win our league.

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 And we have a really good opportunity ahead of us if our girls continue to compete on both ends that we could really make a run in our conference.

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 Ben kind of referred to this a little bit, but let's talk about the five that started in that game.

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 We touched on Allie and Gabby.

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 Katie Criswell played 38 minutes in that game.

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 Jazzy, we talked to her last week, and she's really come on and has played a bigger role in this team lately than she did earlier in the season.

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 And obviously, Sophia, what she's done all season, these five just starting and how they've gelled.

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 Just talk about that a little bit.

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 Oh, for sure.

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 I mean, I've mentioned to a few people tonight that I really feel like this past trip to Florida really kind of brought our team together.

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 I don't know what it was, but you could just see them gel really well on the floor.

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 And, you know, we've talked about the five that have put up really big minutes for us, and it was a team effort this past week.

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 You know, sometimes when a team is searching for its identity, going through adversity like that, it helps to go on the road.

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 What is it about the road sometimes that just brings a group together?

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 I mean, we're around each other 24-7.

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 I would say that's the biggest thing.

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 So it's either going to be really good or really bad, and I really would say that it's helped us a lot with our chemistry.

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 Yeah, and going back to Saturday, senior captain India Howard, we've talked to her and how her role, she's been in the program a long time

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 and now kind of taking on more of a captaincy type role and had 10 points over 16 minutes off the bench, really played a huge role in that game as well.

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 She did.

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00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,280
 She played a really big role in that game, as you said.

213
00:14:10,740 --> 00:14:19,840
 You know, there's different type of leaders, and she's done a really good job for us of leading by example and just being a vocal leader to our team.

214
00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,000
 All right, we like to talk journeys, hear stories.

215
00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,740
 Tell us your story, your path to North Alabama.

216
00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,080
 What led you to joining Coach Whitaker's staff?

217
00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:35,100
 You know, I actually was recruited by Coach Whitaker when I was in high school when she was at Oklahoma State.

218
00:14:35,460 --> 00:14:39,720
 So we kind of known of each other throughout the years.

219
00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,860
 Prior to that, I was a high school coach, and I coached on the Nike EYBL circuit.

220
00:14:44,860 --> 00:14:53,340
 So just kind of making connections growing up through that, I was able to get this opportunity to join and be on her staff.

221
00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:59,080
 And obviously, you've known her a long time just through that process, and now you're here in Florence.

222
00:14:59,420 --> 00:15:04,760
 You've got a great coaching staff you're working with, obviously the players you've spoken so highly of in this community.

223
00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:10,040
 Talk about this community and how you feel like you've really fit into it and what Florence has meant to you so far.

224
00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:10,800
 Yeah, for sure.

225
00:15:11,540 --> 00:15:16,200
 You know, Florence is a pretty small town compared to where I grew up in Kansas City.

226
00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,140
 But growing up through Columbia, Missouri, it was also a college town.

227
00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:23,320
 So I've kind of gotten the feel of a small college town.

228
00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:24,680
 But it's been great being here.

229
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,540
 You know, it's small, but everybody's very supportive of all the sport programs at UNA.

230
00:15:29,740 --> 00:15:31,000
 So it's a big family.

231
00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,440
 You played collegiately at Kansas.

232
00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:34,040
 Yes, sir.

233
00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:36,540
 Take us back to the glory days, your playing days.

234
00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,600
 What stands out most when you reflect back?

235
00:15:38,820 --> 00:15:39,220
 Oh, yeah.

236
00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:45,700
 Well, you know, a few years back, I would have never thought that I would honestly be a college coach at the Division I level.

237
00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:54,920
 So just looking back at all the things that now I'm trying to instill in my players, I'm extremely grateful for my coaches and the things that they've taught me along the way.

238
00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:56,520
 Now, I'm trying to compare the years.

239
00:15:56,820 --> 00:15:59,540
 Did you and Coach Whitaker go head-to-head, Kansas-Texas Tech?

240
00:15:59,720 --> 00:15:59,880
 Yes.

241
00:16:00,020 --> 00:16:02,420
 Any memories of who got the better of one another?

242
00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:03,640
 Oh, you know, rock, chalk, J-Hop.

243
00:16:03,740 --> 00:16:04,620
 That's all I'm going to say.

244
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,760
 We won't bring that up with her is what you're saying.

245
00:16:08,980 --> 00:16:10,380
 We can bring this up with her.

246
00:16:10,380 --> 00:16:11,960
 We want to know what you were like as a player.

247
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:16,900
 So if you had to tell us about Shayla, the player, not just the coach, but the player, how would you describe the player?

248
00:16:17,900 --> 00:16:18,260
 Oh.

249
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,320
 You know, I was a really big competitor.

250
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,240
 I would say that I really valued defense.

251
00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:29,660
 That was kind of what I was known for, put me on the best player.

252
00:16:30,420 --> 00:16:34,980
 I'm living up to the challenge of getting stops any chance that I could get.

253
00:16:35,100 --> 00:16:39,520
 You know, offensively I made it happen, but the majority of my offense came from defensive end.

254
00:16:39,980 --> 00:16:42,040
 Is Allie Alvarado dropping 37 on you?

255
00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:42,840
 Of course not.

256
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,180
 All right, you guys are back at home.

257
00:16:47,340 --> 00:16:49,080
 It's kind of a split weekend, right?

258
00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,000
 You're at home Thursday against Queens.

259
00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:54,740
 Then Saturday, the travel partner, Central Arkansas.

260
00:16:55,380 --> 00:16:59,360
 Give us the breakdown of the week outlook for these two ASUN games.

261
00:16:59,500 --> 00:16:59,980
 Oh, for sure.

262
00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:02,980
 You know, like you said, Thursday we have Queens.

263
00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,760
 We're really excited to keep this win streak going for us.

264
00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:11,460
 And then we've got a big game against Central Arkansas that I'm really looking forward to seeing the girls go out there and compete.

265
00:17:11,940 --> 00:17:15,240
 For the next five on the road, big stretch coming up.

266
00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:20,380
 We're excited to have you guys back home riding that momentum Thursday night, 6 o'clock against Queens.

267
00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:24,840
 Then on the road against Central Arkansas on Saturday at 1 p.m.

268
00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:28,420
 What's it going to take to pull out a couple good wins this week?

269
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:29,980
 Yes, we're looking forward to it.

270
00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:35,260
 So make sure you guys come out and support us on Thursday if possible, and we'll bring home some wins.

271
00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:36,900
 We appreciate you joining us, Coach.

272
00:17:37,060 --> 00:17:37,500
 Thank you.

273
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,440
 That's North Alabama Assistant Coach Shayla Cheadle.

274
00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:41,700
 We'll take a timeout still to come.

275
00:17:41,780 --> 00:17:43,260
 Allie Alvarado, Gabby Jackson.

276
00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,680
 We'll let them rock, paper, scissors it to see who's coming up first.

277
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:47,660
 We'll be back after this.

278
00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,100
 This is UNA Basketball Night from Loss Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

279
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,240
 No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Loss Pizza's got you covered.

280
00:17:59,380 --> 00:18:03,100
 We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza.

281
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 Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations.

282
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 Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Loss Pizza.

283
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 Feed the team, feel the fans.

284
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 Go big with Loss Pizza.

285
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 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy, effective for osteoarthritis,

286
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287
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 We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,

288
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289
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 Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

290
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 In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.

291
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 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.

292
00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,400
 Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.

293
00:18:51,820 --> 00:18:54,700
 Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

294
00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:00,640
 Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan, or you are under 65 and exploring individual

295
00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:05,320
 health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

296
00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:11,640
 Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard, or give

297
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,180
 us a call at 256-648-5710.

298
00:19:15,860 --> 00:19:20,080
 Again, that's 256-648-5710.

299
00:19:20,860 --> 00:19:27,440
 Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal?

300
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:29,380
 Yeah, this isn't that.

301
00:19:29,580 --> 00:19:33,580
 I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot.

302
00:19:33,580 --> 00:19:38,640
 I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking,

303
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:40,060
 and have a positive balance.

304
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:40,760
 That's it.

305
00:19:40,860 --> 00:19:42,740
 A 20% scholarship to UNA.

306
00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:47,140
 When bank independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and

307
00:19:47,140 --> 00:19:48,420
 the future of our community.

308
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 Bank independent.

309
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:50,960
 We're invested in your future.

310
00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:52,060
 Member FDIC.

311
00:19:52,300 --> 00:19:56,140
 Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?

312
00:19:56,620 --> 00:19:59,020
 This is Dr. Hampton Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

313
00:19:59,020 --> 00:20:03,380
 Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

314
00:20:03,580 --> 00:20:12,760
 You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.

315
00:20:13,260 --> 00:20:17,800
 Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

316
00:20:18,220 --> 00:20:21,160
 We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.

317
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 And Roar Lines.

318
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 Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.

319
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 Ready to serve delicious drinks and host some amazing events?

320
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 Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.

321
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 Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

322
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 Don't miss out on the good times.

323
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 Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

324
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:53,920
 Television is over.

325
00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:59,240
 And the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.

326
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:03,720
 Friday night sets its own with coupes, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.

327
00:21:03,860 --> 00:21:07,200
 Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.

328
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:12,220
 Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party and Concert,

329
00:21:12,380 --> 00:21:14,840
 featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.

330
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:19,340
 Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.

331
00:21:19,340 --> 00:21:26,700
 Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.

332
00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:38,180
 We've got North Alabama's top scorer on the season.

333
00:21:38,340 --> 00:21:39,740
 Allie Alvarado with us.

334
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:44,660
 37 points in North Alabama's win against Jacksonville in 37 minutes.

335
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,480
 She's our first repeat guest this year.

336
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,760
 Thanks for coming back, Allie.

337
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:49,880
 37 points.

338
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,180
 How did it feel on Saturday?

339
00:21:51,620 --> 00:21:52,500
 It was honestly surreal.

340
00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:56,320
 I didn't even know I had 37 points until they told me at the end of the game.

341
00:21:56,500 --> 00:21:58,020
 You just knew you'd scored a lot, right?

342
00:21:58,160 --> 00:21:58,460
 Yeah.

343
00:21:58,680 --> 00:21:59,720
 I was just in the moment.

344
00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:05,940
 And then 37 points just off of your career high from 42 at your previous school.

345
00:22:06,660 --> 00:22:07,740
 Compare the two games.

346
00:22:07,940 --> 00:22:08,620
 What do you remember?

347
00:22:10,940 --> 00:22:13,280
 42 points at my last school.

348
00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,320
 It was a hard game.

349
00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,840
 We were getting pressured like crazy the whole time.

350
00:22:18,140 --> 00:22:24,800
 I just remember just my dad yelling at me saying, oh, we need five more points the whole time to beat the record.

351
00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:25,900
 So that's all I remember.

352
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:34,900
 And then the 37 on Saturday, I mean, I didn't even realize I had that much until everyone told me and everyone was so hyped up for me.

353
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,240
 I was just excited about the win and Gabby hitting that game winning shot.

354
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,760
 Yeah, it obviously means more in a win when you could do that.

355
00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,560
 I want to go back to early part of the game.

356
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:46,820
 You start, you know, you hit the first few shots.

357
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,020
 There's got to be a point where you kind of know, okay, I'm kind of cooking right now, you know, very humbly.

358
00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:59,540
 But when you score in a game like that and just everything seems to work in, when does it truly sit in for you like, wow, I'm playing really well and I'm just going to keep shooting?

359
00:23:00,140 --> 00:23:04,260
 I think it's mainly my team just telling me to keep going, keep attacking and just playing hard.

360
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:05,900
 I give energy to the team.

361
00:23:05,980 --> 00:23:08,080
 The team gives energy to me and that's how we win games.

362
00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,440
 It's all of our energy all together.

363
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,040
 You were the story of the game, 37 points, but we're going to talk to her next.

364
00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:15,640
 Gabby Jackson had the big three late in that ball game.

365
00:23:15,700 --> 00:23:18,540
 How proud are you, the freshman, just how she continues to step up?

366
00:23:18,620 --> 00:23:20,720
 I was so excited when she hit that three.

367
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:26,280
 It was like silence when that three went up and when it went in, we were all so hyped up.

368
00:23:26,340 --> 00:23:27,920
 I ran and jumped into her arms.

369
00:23:28,100 --> 00:23:29,620
 It was a surreal moment.

370
00:23:29,900 --> 00:23:33,000
 Such a surreal moment and Gabby was on the show a couple weeks ago.

371
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:41,240
 We'll talk to her about this, but to get that opportunity again as a true freshman to be kind of that clutch player and be trusted in a moment like that says a lot about her.

372
00:23:41,380 --> 00:23:41,940
 Yes, of course.

373
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,620
 She's been playing her tail off like crazy and I'm just so excited to be playing with her.

374
00:23:46,820 --> 00:23:53,880
 So the all-time single-game scoring record for UNA is 43 by LaCondra Cochran, who's in the Athletic Hall of Fame.

375
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:59,940
 She did that back in 1985 and then you broke the Division I single-game scoring record.

376
00:23:59,940 --> 00:24:06,840
 Ivy Wallen scored 35 points against Kennesaw State back in 2019, which was the first year at the Division I level.

377
00:24:07,060 --> 00:24:10,900
 And then UNA fans will remember a player by the name of Julia Strachman.

378
00:24:11,500 --> 00:24:18,240
 She knocked down, I think, nine threes in a win against Jacksonville at home February 3rd, 2022.

379
00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:23,620
 So your name's going to live on in the record book forever right there with that 37-point performance.

380
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,360
 And hearing that, how does that make you feel?

381
00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:28,300
 It's honestly just amazing.

382
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:30,920
 Gabby loves it right there.

383
00:24:32,060 --> 00:24:33,180
 It's honestly amazing.

384
00:24:33,380 --> 00:24:42,760
 I mean, just having my name in two schools in the record book is a really great thing that I can live on and look at and, like, just make my family proud because they're the reason I do this.

385
00:24:43,260 --> 00:24:46,920
 Yeah, and one of those that Ben just mentioned, Ivy Wallen, she's an ASA in Hall of Famer, too.

386
00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,200
 So you've got some really good company right there that you're with.

387
00:24:50,340 --> 00:24:51,800
 So very exciting there.

388
00:24:52,380 --> 00:24:56,080
 But let's just go back to North Florida, too, and to get two big wins on the road.

389
00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:02,360
 It's pretty satisfying when you win at home and send the crowd home happy, but it's probably also pretty satisfying to win on the road.

390
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:08,140
 Yeah, it was honestly so great to win back-to-back, especially because we've been on that streak of losing at first.

391
00:25:08,220 --> 00:25:14,620
 So having the streak to start winning and just having the energy and seeing us progress so much as a team and coming together has been amazing.

392
00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:20,540
 This team has been through a lot the last two, three weeks, whether injuries, just going through it, really.

393
00:25:20,620 --> 00:25:23,780
 How have you guys stayed together and come out all right on the other side?

394
00:25:23,780 --> 00:25:29,640
 I think just staying confident with each other and just having the energy and confidence, honestly, with everything

395
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,060
 and just coming back to the defensive end, and that's how we're going to win games.

396
00:25:33,460 --> 00:25:35,860
 Speaking of confidence, I want to go back to this part.

397
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:37,700
 We asked Shea about this as well.

398
00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,320
 After Gabby's shot, had to ice the game with those free throws.

399
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,740
 I think you hit four in the final minute there to ice the game.

400
00:25:44,940 --> 00:25:48,660
 You had already had a great game there, but to just kind of close it like you did,

401
00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:53,420
 is there a lot of pressure that goes into that when you have to go to the line and know, hey, I need to hit these shots?

402
00:25:53,620 --> 00:25:58,260
 Yeah, there's always a little bit of pressure, but honestly, the team believed in me, and I was going to knock them down for them.

403
00:25:58,800 --> 00:25:59,920
 Tell us about Coach Sheetal.

404
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:00,700
 She was here earlier.

405
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,720
 She's not coming back up, so you can say whatever you want to right now.

406
00:26:04,140 --> 00:26:06,840
 But what's it like having her on staff in your first year?

407
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:07,680
 She's amazing.

408
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,540
 She has a lot of confidence in me, talks to me, tells me that these are big games,

409
00:26:11,580 --> 00:26:14,960
 that I need to hit some big shots for them, and that's what I end up doing.

410
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,220
 Do you have a response to her saying that she'd win the one-on-one?

411
00:26:18,660 --> 00:26:20,760
 I think we'll just have to play one-on-one to find out.

412
00:26:22,540 --> 00:26:23,720
 Are we charging for that?

413
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,300
 I think that would get a pretty good game.

414
00:26:28,340 --> 00:26:29,600
 Yeah, I've got to say this, too.

415
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:30,440
 This is kind of fun.

416
00:26:30,540 --> 00:26:33,440
 Charity last year, y'all played in the same conference.

417
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:34,480
 She was great.

418
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:35,560
 You've been great.

419
00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:40,240
 Is there maybe a California pipeline kind of opening to Florence, Alabama for the future?

420
00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:41,680
 It's looking like it, honestly.

421
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,380
 All right, how do we build off of this?

422
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,920
 Thursday, Queens, Saturday, Central Arkansas.

423
00:26:47,140 --> 00:26:50,680
 We just got to keep the energy up and the confidence that we're going to win these games coming up.

424
00:26:50,940 --> 00:26:53,920
 For the next five at home, you guys have been to Florida twice.

425
00:26:54,340 --> 00:26:57,840
 Now, hey, California to Florida, Florence in between.

426
00:26:57,940 --> 00:26:59,060
 Have you ever been to Florida before?

427
00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:00,600
 No, not until now, yeah.

428
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,480
 So what was your first trip like to the Sunshine State?

429
00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:04,940
 It was great.

430
00:27:04,940 --> 00:27:07,860
 I mean, you don't get to see too much because we're traveling most of the time.

431
00:27:08,300 --> 00:27:12,620
 So I'm used to it, though, just seeing the gyms and getting to fill out new gyms

432
00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:14,680
 and get to see how other people live a little bit.

433
00:27:14,740 --> 00:27:18,480
 So you probably didn't get to compare the West Coast beaches to the Florida beaches.

434
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,120
 Well, the Florida beaches are way better.

435
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:21,560
 Are they?

436
00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:22,660
 We got to see dolphins.

437
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,160
 So, yeah, we were out there taking the ice bath in the morning, and we saw dolphins.

438
00:27:27,260 --> 00:27:28,540
 So that's a pretty cool experience.

439
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,020
 It is indeed one you'll remember for a long time.

440
00:27:31,060 --> 00:27:32,360
 I know, 37 points.

441
00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:34,140
 Hopefully tomorrow you get some ASUN news.

442
00:27:34,940 --> 00:27:36,860
 ASUN Player of the Week will be pulling for you.

443
00:27:37,060 --> 00:27:39,320
 Thursday night inside the bank.

444
00:27:39,780 --> 00:27:41,440
 Queens, what's it going to take to get the dub?

445
00:27:41,940 --> 00:27:43,500
 Just playing hard like we have been.

446
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,920
 Lots of energy, belief, and trust in our own team, and just playing hard on defense.

447
00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,600
 That's what's going to make us go on offense.

448
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:51,940
 Come out and join the Lions inside the bank.

449
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:53,960
 Queens, 6 o'clock tip.

450
00:27:54,020 --> 00:27:54,680
 Let's take a timeout.

451
00:27:54,740 --> 00:27:57,460
 When we come back, the freshman Gabby Jackson joins us next.

452
00:27:57,460 --> 00:28:01,500
 This is UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

453
00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:08,740
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454
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455
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456
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457
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458
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465
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466
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467
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 Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

468
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469
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470
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471
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 or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

472
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 Again, that's 256-648-5710.

473
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 Imagine a bank where you feel at home.

474
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475
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476
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 You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together that create a stronger

477
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478
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479
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480
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481
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 Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?

482
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483
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 Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

484
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485
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486
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487
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489
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490
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491
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492
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494
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496
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497
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500
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501
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502
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 Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market,

503
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 located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater.

504
00:31:38,580 --> 00:31:38,920
 Cheers!

505
00:31:45,380 --> 00:31:48,800
 Well, she's back from Kansas City, Missouri.

506
00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:51,080
 The true freshman, Gabby Jackson.

507
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,620
 She had six points in the win over North Florida while playing 39 minutes.

508
00:31:55,980 --> 00:32:01,040
 Then against Jacksonville, she played 37 minutes, had a double-double, 15 points, 12 rebounds,

509
00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:05,320
 while also hitting the go-ahead three with about 15 seconds left in the ballgame.

510
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:06,880
 And, Gabby, let's start with that.

511
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:07,820
 The game's tied up.

512
00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:10,060
 True freshman, on the road.

513
00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:15,020
 Swisher Gymnasium is one of the toughest environments to play in because it can be sold

514
00:32:15,020 --> 00:32:18,880
 out or there can be one person in there, and it is loud and rowdy.

515
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,880
 It does not matter what the crowd is like.

516
00:32:20,940 --> 00:32:24,780
 What's going through your mind as you're standing out there, your first time in that gym and at

517
00:32:24,780 --> 00:32:27,120
 a big moment in this game, is that ball's coming to you?

518
00:32:27,380 --> 00:32:31,180
 You know, I was, like, coming down the court, and I was like, Jazzy!

519
00:32:31,380 --> 00:32:33,700
 Because I was, like, wide open, and then I just shot it.

520
00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:36,180
 It was just fluid, and I was just like, oh, yeah, woohoo!

521
00:32:36,300 --> 00:32:37,200
 It was a big-time moment.

522
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:38,140
 I was, like, really hyped.

523
00:32:38,420 --> 00:32:41,880
 I was just so glad that Jazzy heard me because she was literally double-teamed, and she made

524
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:43,280
 that pass, and it was such a good pass.

525
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,480
 It set me up perfectly, so it was really good.

526
00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:47,460
 So you knew coming out of your hands it was in?

527
00:32:48,060 --> 00:32:49,460
 You know, yeah.

528
00:32:51,860 --> 00:32:56,640
 Because I didn't really have a choice if that ball didn't go in or not, so I had to go in.

529
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:58,480
 Well, you certainly knew.

530
00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:03,080
 If you didn't know then, you certainly knew after, when the timeout was called, and Allie

531
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:08,600
 came over and gave you a big hug, and everybody else was celebrating with you, and obviously

532
00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:12,440
 still some basketball to go at that point, but it had to feel good in that moment to know

533
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,160
 that that was a big impact, and your teammate was all around you.

534
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:16,120
 Yeah, it was.

535
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,000
 It felt so good when Allie came over.

536
00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:21,840
 I was like, oh, my gosh, like, it was a big three, and then my coach, Coach A, was celebrating

537
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,280
 on the side, and, like, everybody was hyped.

538
00:33:23,340 --> 00:33:24,300
 It was a really good moment.

539
00:33:24,380 --> 00:33:25,020
 It felt really good.

540
00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:26,740
 37 points from Allie.

541
00:33:26,980 --> 00:33:28,980
 What was it like watching her cook out there?

542
00:33:29,060 --> 00:33:31,780
 My gosh, they couldn't stop five-foot Allie.

543
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,900
 I mean, she was just all over the place, and I was like, whew, I mean, she's on my team,

544
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:38,960
 so I'm just going to let her go at it.

545
00:33:39,020 --> 00:33:41,520
 I mean, she was cooking them like it was nobody's business.

546
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:42,140
 It was great.

547
00:33:42,140 --> 00:33:46,020
 When a player's hot like that, are you thinking, get her the ball and get out of the way?

548
00:33:46,980 --> 00:33:47,340
 100%.

549
00:33:47,340 --> 00:33:49,920
 100% thinking that all the time.

550
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,880
 Any way I can help you score, I will do it.

551
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,520
 I got to say, you had a pretty good game yourself.

552
00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:58,860
 15 points, 12 rebounds, three for three behind the arc.

553
00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,180
 That's the first time you've been perfect behind the arc with that many three-pointers.

554
00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:03,760
 I mean, talk about all three.

555
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:04,900
 Do you remember all three of them?

556
00:34:04,980 --> 00:34:07,280
 I believe you said you didn't know that you hit them all.

557
00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:13,280
 Yeah, I didn't even know that I was 100% until I think Buki Akinsela told me after the game.

558
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:14,780
 She was like, you're 100% from the arc.

559
00:34:14,820 --> 00:34:15,880
 And I was like, oh, shoot.

560
00:34:16,020 --> 00:34:17,260
 I was like, I didn't even know.

561
00:34:17,420 --> 00:34:20,760
 But, yeah, when you're in the flow of the game, you don't really think about points and stuff.

562
00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,000
 You're just thinking about how you can help your team and how to win.

563
00:34:23,260 --> 00:34:24,260
 We got to back up a second.

564
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:25,680
 Five-foot Allie.

565
00:34:25,940 --> 00:34:26,780
 I just double-checked.

566
00:34:26,820 --> 00:34:28,380
 She's listed at five-foot-seven.

567
00:34:29,460 --> 00:34:30,160
 What's the story?

568
00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:31,340
 She's 5'6 and three-quarters.

569
00:34:31,340 --> 00:34:33,760
 I remember Allie telling us this in the locker room.

570
00:34:34,980 --> 00:34:40,000
 And she is, you know, she was cooking at five-six and three-quarters.

571
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:41,220
 But we have her as 5'7.

572
00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:41,940
 We can round up.

573
00:34:41,980 --> 00:34:42,380
 That's okay.

574
00:34:42,620 --> 00:34:44,820
 But where does five-foot Allie come from?

575
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:49,440
 You know, I call her five-foot because when she came and gave me a hug, it felt like it was five feet tall.

576
00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:50,920
 And it was amazing.

577
00:34:51,180 --> 00:34:52,020
 And I just loved it.

578
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,520
 I was like, oh, my gosh, the hype from this teammate is awesome.

579
00:34:55,600 --> 00:35:00,140
 Hey, speaking of that, defensively, three blocks from five-foot Allie ain't bad.

580
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:01,080
 Right.

581
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:06,680
 And when you see them live and you see a girl get blocked and Allie's, like, apologizing because she made a mistake.

582
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:08,820
 I was like, but you just blocked the c*** out of her.

583
00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:10,820
 I was like, I don't care about your mistake.

584
00:35:10,940 --> 00:35:12,040
 I was like, you went and got back.

585
00:35:12,140 --> 00:35:13,020
 Like, that's how you play hard.

586
00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:13,940
 That's how you get a block.

587
00:35:13,980 --> 00:35:14,560
 And it was awesome.

588
00:35:15,580 --> 00:35:18,780
 So that's how we beat Jacksonville back up a game to North Florida.

589
00:35:18,900 --> 00:35:21,840
 I think it was Sophia Wright with a late block in that ball game.

590
00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:27,300
 You guys get the thrill of the offensive three in one win, a defensive stand in the other.

591
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:28,620
 How does the feelings compare?

592
00:35:29,300 --> 00:35:32,680
 You know, it just really feels really good to win, like, honestly.

593
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,460
 And when you do your role, you do your part, that's how you win.

594
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:41,080
 Like, and that's what it came down to, especially in North Florida game when Sophia stayed on her feet and got a good block.

595
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:42,100
 It was just big time.

596
00:35:42,300 --> 00:35:44,480
 And that was good for her to step up there.

597
00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:51,180
 And she stepped up in the Jacksonville game, guarding a six-year senior, however old she is, like, and just locked her up.

598
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,520
 I mean, the game before, she had 44 points, and Sophia took care of her.

599
00:35:54,660 --> 00:35:55,860
 So she stepped up.

600
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,760
 So remind me, last time we talked to you, was that last week or the week before last?

601
00:35:59,820 --> 00:36:00,400
 Can you remind me?

602
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,320
 Maybe a week before last, I think.

603
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:04,240
 I think it was after Stetson, right?

604
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:04,600
 Yeah.

605
00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,220
 So in that Stetson game, 35 minutes, right?

606
00:36:07,980 --> 00:36:10,040
 That was the first time you had played more than 30 minutes.

607
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:16,360
 So now, the four games after that, you played 36 minutes, 28, 39, and 37.

608
00:36:16,660 --> 00:36:19,720
 So your week was 39 minutes, 37 minutes.

609
00:36:19,900 --> 00:36:22,660
 So, North Florida, you essentially did not come out of the game.

610
00:36:23,060 --> 00:36:25,120
 How does it feel to kind of go wire to wire like that?

611
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:25,840
 Do you get tired?

612
00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:29,020
 Do you ever have moments where it gets tough, or are you just kind of locked in?

613
00:36:29,420 --> 00:36:34,000
 I'm most definitely locked in because all you can do is just be grateful that you're playing that many minutes,

614
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:35,120
 especially as a freshman.

615
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:39,560
 So I'm going to take advantage but also appreciate the fact that I'm out there.

616
00:36:39,980 --> 00:36:42,140
 And just, again, just grateful that I'm out there.

617
00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,140
 So, you know, I'm going to work my butt off to just keep staying out there

618
00:36:45,140 --> 00:36:47,140
 and give my 110% when I'm out there.

619
00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:49,640
 So I'm looking up and down the roster right now.

620
00:36:49,740 --> 00:36:50,900
 Allie's in her first year.

621
00:36:51,380 --> 00:36:53,960
 Sophia is really essentially a redshirt freshman.

622
00:36:54,060 --> 00:36:56,640
 She's a sophomore, did not play a lot as a freshman last year.

623
00:36:57,020 --> 00:36:57,620
 You've got Buki.

624
00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,120
 She's in her first year at UNA.

625
00:36:59,620 --> 00:37:00,900
 Gabby Jackson, that's you.

626
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:02,780
 You're fourth on the team in scoring right now.

627
00:37:02,780 --> 00:37:05,000
 You're a true freshman, first year at UNA.

628
00:37:05,140 --> 00:37:08,440
 What's it like seeing all these players, first-year players right at UNA,

629
00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,240
 come together and have this success?

630
00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:14,660
 It's just really good, like, to know that people all around the world,

631
00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,140
 like we've got a girl from Italy, you've got somebody from California,

632
00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:19,720
 like, and you come together and you can just play ball.

633
00:37:19,820 --> 00:37:21,020
 I think that's what basketball does for you.

634
00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:22,120
 You play ball, have a good time.

635
00:37:22,180 --> 00:37:24,220
 And it just feels good, like, especially when you win.

636
00:37:24,300 --> 00:37:25,560
 And it feels great.

637
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,980
 Like, when we were winning together, especially in that Jacksonville game,

638
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:29,780
 I feel like we really kind of came together as a team

639
00:37:29,780 --> 00:37:30,700
 and everybody did their part.

640
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,320
 Even Buki was on the bench and she was hyped both games

641
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:36,020
 and she was being a great leader and just vocal.

642
00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:37,820
 And that's big for us, I think.

643
00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:40,520
 Yeah, you certainly see the chemistry with this team.

644
00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,180
 Four games in Florida down.

645
00:37:43,460 --> 00:37:44,780
 And we just talked about this.

646
00:37:44,820 --> 00:37:45,960
 It's great to win at home.

647
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,320
 Had to feel good also to get a win on the road.

648
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:48,860
 Yes.

649
00:37:49,100 --> 00:37:49,820
 Yes, it did.

650
00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:51,200
 What's kind of the difference?

651
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,340
 I mean, you get to send the crowd home happy when you're home,

652
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:54,740
 but what's it like winning on the road?

653
00:37:54,780 --> 00:37:55,920
 What's the difference there?

654
00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,780
 I think when you win on the road, like, you just take something from somebody else.

655
00:37:59,820 --> 00:38:01,060
 Like, you just took it from them.

656
00:38:01,140 --> 00:38:03,500
 Like, we got your win in your place, you know?

657
00:38:03,580 --> 00:38:06,560
 Like, you ever heard, like, come in your trap, take over your trap?

658
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:07,160
 You ever heard of that?

659
00:38:07,460 --> 00:38:09,460
 Yeah, it's like, ah, it just felt so good.

660
00:38:09,540 --> 00:38:11,760
 Like, and then they, like, felt like that they were better than us

661
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,160
 and we just came out and we had five-foot alley, like, come take over your trap.

662
00:38:15,300 --> 00:38:17,060
 Like, and she just walked all over you.

663
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:18,120
 Like, it was so great.

664
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,920
 And it just felt good walking out with a win, especially in Florida,

665
00:38:21,060 --> 00:38:21,920
 like, when it's nice outside.

666
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:22,640
 So it was really good.

667
00:38:23,340 --> 00:38:25,460
 Let's talk about your freshman year just a little bit.

668
00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:29,700
 And obviously when you're in high school, your primary road games are on the bus, right?

669
00:38:29,740 --> 00:38:30,580
 You're taking bus trips.

670
00:38:30,660 --> 00:38:33,740
 I'm sure you played some AAU ball, which took you to some fun places.

671
00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,580
 But going to Florida twice, going on the road to Oklahoma to play,

672
00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:40,000
 what's it like freshman year getting to go on the road

673
00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,640
 and to go to some different type venues?

674
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,300
 Yeah, you go on the road.

675
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:44,940
 I mean, it's exciting, honestly.

676
00:38:44,940 --> 00:38:47,940
 I just, I like going to different places on the earth.

677
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:48,740
 It's really cool.

678
00:38:48,940 --> 00:38:51,420
 And I just like playing on the road and playing at home.

679
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:51,960
 I like playing.

680
00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:53,520
 What's been your favorite place so far?

681
00:38:53,860 --> 00:38:54,360
 Definitely Florida.

682
00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:56,280
 Yep, I love Florida.

683
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,680
 What about a specific gym?

684
00:38:59,960 --> 00:39:00,760
 Specific gym?

685
00:39:01,020 --> 00:39:05,440
 I mean, if I say Florida, but then, like, Mizzou's gym was just so cool.

686
00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:06,500
 Like, it was just the scene.

687
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:07,680
 It was so cool to me.

688
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:10,480
 Yeah, I'm sure you had a lot of family come to that game as well.

689
00:39:10,580 --> 00:39:10,840
 I did.

690
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:11,680
 Yeah.

691
00:39:11,820 --> 00:39:14,020
 All six of them were there, and my mom and dad were there.

692
00:39:14,260 --> 00:39:15,000
 So it was very good.

693
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,640
 I want to talk about just what it's like being a freshman.

694
00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:23,180
 The last time we talked, you know, being trusted in big moments, that was kind of a big thing.

695
00:39:24,180 --> 00:39:32,660
 And you had one moment that it didn't go your way, but you said, hey, I learned from this, and my coaches and teammates, they trust me, and that means a lot to me as a freshman.

696
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:34,160
 But then you get that moment again.

697
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:39,240
 You get that redemption shot, and your teammates still believe in you, and you get that opportunity, and you do it.

698
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:43,780
 I mean, it's got to feel good as a freshman to still have that trust and to know, hey, I can do this.

699
00:39:43,940 --> 00:39:45,200
 Yeah, no, 100%.

700
00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:58,380
 When you get that trust, and you get that feeling, like, your teammates do rely on you, and they appreciate what you do, because appreciation is big to me, and I appreciate what my team does for me, and I love how they appreciate what I do for them.

701
00:39:58,420 --> 00:40:00,240
 And I think it's just really big.

702
00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:01,040
 Sorry.

703
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:02,300
 You're good.

704
00:40:02,460 --> 00:40:02,720
 You're good.

705
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:10,740
 It's just, like, really big, like, when you have a team that is just kind and welcoming, and, like, it just feels good, like, when they're just good people.

706
00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:12,420
 So it's really good, yeah.

707
00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,600
 Now, we didn't go down this road with Allie.

708
00:40:14,700 --> 00:40:20,960
 She said that she's not a big college football fan, had never been to a college football game until she came to UNA, so she got to experience one at Brawley.

709
00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:24,040
 You said your dad had told you some stuff about this game tonight.

710
00:40:24,180 --> 00:40:25,280
 Give us some insight.

711
00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:26,040
 Who's going to win?

712
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:29,180
 It's already underway, but give us your perspective.

713
00:40:29,420 --> 00:40:36,300
 My dad thinks Indiana is going to win that game, and I like, like, going against my dad, so I'm just like, oh, Miami's going to win.

714
00:40:36,620 --> 00:40:41,380
 Like, I'm just, I want to go against them, but I, you know, I think Indiana got it, you know.

715
00:40:41,380 --> 00:40:43,060
 Like, they got a good coach.

716
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,360
 They got it going for them, but, you know, I don't know who he thinks is going to win.

717
00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:49,840
 I'm rolling with Indiana as well.

718
00:40:49,940 --> 00:40:50,100
 Yeah.

719
00:40:50,500 --> 00:40:51,060
 Yeah, what about you?

720
00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:51,760
 Indiana.

721
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,060
 But I do think it'll be close.

722
00:40:54,180 --> 00:40:55,060
 I think it'll be a good game.

723
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,460
 Miami's proven everybody wrong in every game, so.

724
00:40:57,680 --> 00:40:58,420
 That's right.

725
00:40:58,560 --> 00:40:59,320
 They made it this far.

726
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:00,120
 Very good.

727
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:06,220
 All right, so, Gabby, as we wrap up, Queens on Thursday, 6 o'clock tip in the bank on the road at Central Arkansas this week.

728
00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:10,920
 Overall, for the next five at home, how do you guys keep it rolling and get the dub in the next game?

729
00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:12,480
 I'm going to say what Allie said.

730
00:41:12,540 --> 00:41:15,180
 I think you've got to play hard, and you've got to play hard with defense.

731
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:18,120
 I think our defense makes our offense, and you've got to play as a team.

732
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:19,000
 That's big to me.

733
00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:24,080
 When you play as a team and everybody does their part, you come out with wins, and you come out, and you just go out there and you have fun.

734
00:41:24,420 --> 00:41:26,920
 Like, that's big, and you've got to play hard.

735
00:41:27,140 --> 00:41:30,740
 At the end of the day, if you give 110% effort, you know you gave all you could give.

736
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,020
 You can't walk off that court with your head down, so.

737
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:34,880
 Well, hey, the big weekend coming up.

738
00:41:34,940 --> 00:41:39,280
 Hopefully, you get some good news from the A-Sun tomorrow with maybe some more Freshman of the Week honors.

739
00:41:39,380 --> 00:41:39,920
 We're proud of you.

740
00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:40,740
 We enjoy watching you.

741
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:44,100
 Big shot on Saturday, and you guys will get rolling Thursday against Queens.

742
00:41:44,180 --> 00:41:44,700
 Best of luck.

743
00:41:44,820 --> 00:41:45,700
 Thank you so much.

744
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:46,840
 That's Gabby Jackson.

745
00:41:46,940 --> 00:41:47,940
 Thanks for stopping by.

746
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:48,700
 We'll take a timeout.

747
00:41:48,700 --> 00:41:50,300
 Tony Pujol joins us next.

748
00:41:50,460 --> 00:41:53,720
 This is UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

749
00:41:56,140 --> 00:42:00,220
 No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered.

750
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:05,040
 We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza.

751
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,360
 Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations.

752
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:13,440
 Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza.

753
00:42:14,860 --> 00:42:16,700
 Feed the team, feel the fans.

754
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 Go big with Lost Pizza.

755
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 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy.

756
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 Effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.

757
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 We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area.

758
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 Helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.

759
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 Therapies coupled with dry needling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

760
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 In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.

761
00:42:47,780 --> 00:42:51,340
 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.

762
00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:53,340
 Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.

763
00:42:53,740 --> 00:42:56,620
 Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

764
00:42:56,860 --> 00:43:02,560
 Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan, or you are under 65 and exploring individual

765
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:07,240
 health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

766
00:43:07,740 --> 00:43:13,560
 Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard, or give

767
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:17,220
 us a call at 256-648-5710.

768
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:22,000
 Again, that's 256-648-5710.

769
00:43:23,740 --> 00:43:29,360
 Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal?

770
00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,300
 Yeah, this isn't that.

771
00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,520
 I didn't have to write a long essay, or audition, or make a half-court shot.

772
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:40,580
 I just had to open a Bank Independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking,

773
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,000
 and have a positive balance.

774
00:43:42,140 --> 00:43:42,700
 That's it.

775
00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:44,680
 A 20% scholarship to UNA.

776
00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:48,820
 When Bank Independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us,

777
00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:50,340
 and the future of our community.

778
00:43:50,540 --> 00:43:51,240
 Bank Independent.

779
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 We're invested in your future.

780
00:43:53,100 --> 00:43:54,000
 Member FDIC.

781
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:58,080
 Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?

782
00:43:58,540 --> 00:44:00,920
 This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

783
00:44:01,260 --> 00:44:05,300
 Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

784
00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:12,580
 You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner,

785
00:44:12,980 --> 00:44:14,820
 Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.

786
00:44:15,180 --> 00:44:19,720
 Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

787
00:44:20,140 --> 00:44:24,240
 We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall and roar lines.

788
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 Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.

789
00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:33,500
 Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

790
00:44:36,420 --> 00:44:40,540
 Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.

791
00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:45,080
 Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

792
00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:49,640
 Don't miss out on the good times.

793
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,360
 Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

794
00:44:54,800 --> 00:45:01,180
 Prohibition is over and the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.

795
00:45:01,240 --> 00:45:05,680
 Friday night sets its tone with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.

796
00:45:05,820 --> 00:45:09,160
 Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.

797
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:16,800
 Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party in Concert, featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.

798
00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:21,300
 Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.

799
00:45:21,420 --> 00:45:28,640
 Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.

800
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,760
 We're back with you here at Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence.

801
00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:45,680
 Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and head basketball coach Tony Pujol, and he's also our Miami football insider.

802
00:45:46,100 --> 00:45:48,380
 Coach, there's a football game taking place.

803
00:45:48,500 --> 00:45:51,300
 You grew up a fan of the U, down 3-0 right now.

804
00:45:51,340 --> 00:45:52,500
 What do you think of this football game?

805
00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:54,080
 Well, I'm happy for the U.

806
00:45:54,200 --> 00:46:01,440
 Obviously, grew up watching the Hurricanes play in Miami in the 80s and 90s, right when they were at their peak.

807
00:46:02,740 --> 00:46:04,140
 A great little story here.

808
00:46:04,140 --> 00:46:09,960
 When I was at Alabama as an assistant coach, Mario Cristobal was the offensive line coach for Nick Saban.

809
00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:14,540
 So, it was kind of cool to have another Cuban-American there with us in Tuscaloosa.

810
00:46:14,980 --> 00:46:20,960
 That kind of put the Cuban population to about 2% in Tuscaloosa, which was great.

811
00:46:21,900 --> 00:46:29,760
 Did anything stand out from any of those coaches that you've taken away with your coaching philosophy now that you're a head coach?

812
00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,700
 You know, you learn from everybody, right?

813
00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:38,100
 Well, that's one of the things that was great about being at Alabama was you had Nick Saban there.

814
00:46:38,220 --> 00:46:45,580
 Nick, Coach Saban, did a great job of spending time with Coach Grant, and he would allow our staff to visit with him.

815
00:46:45,940 --> 00:46:59,100
 And, man, you just take so much from opportunities like that where you can share information and just gather information from somebody like that when it comes to the discipline of your team and how to build a program and how to sustain a program.

816
00:46:59,820 --> 00:47:01,360
 You know, it's invaluable.

817
00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:04,660
 So, yeah, I really took a lot when we were down there in Tuscaloosa.

818
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:09,680
 Yeah, and I guess that's going to answer my next question already, but I guess Miami's got the right guy for the job.

819
00:47:09,860 --> 00:47:10,260
 No doubt.

820
00:47:10,380 --> 00:47:11,340
 I mean, the guy played there.

821
00:47:11,420 --> 00:47:12,100
 He's from there.

822
00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:17,300
 Went to Christopher Columbus High School where, in fact, the quarterback at Indiana, that's where he played.

823
00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:22,640
 In fact, his dad and Mario Cristobal both played together at Christopher Columbus High School.

824
00:47:22,740 --> 00:47:29,220
 So there's so much – it's a small community in South Florida, but it's a strong one.

825
00:47:29,220 --> 00:47:36,360
 And, you know, he is definitely the right guy for the job because he understands the history of that place.

826
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,160
 He understands the culture and the expectations.

827
00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:47,180
 So, Coach, from working around some great coaches to coaching here at North Alabama, I know it's been a tough go here early on in ASOM play, right?

828
00:47:47,180 --> 00:47:50,700
 What's been the message to the team is we'd like to kind of get things jump-started here.

829
00:47:50,980 --> 00:47:53,520
 Yeah, I mean, the message is always the same, right?

830
00:47:54,060 --> 00:47:56,540
 We have to continue to get better as a team.

831
00:47:57,060 --> 00:48:03,360
 Right now the team's going through it, and, you know, for us, there's no failure.

832
00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:05,960
 This is a learning process for us.

833
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:11,760
 And what we have to understand is, for us, our team just needs to get better every day.

834
00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:14,480
 And right now there's some things that we're working on.

835
00:48:14,860 --> 00:48:16,000
 I had a great practice today.

836
00:48:16,080 --> 00:48:17,400
 I thought the energy was fantastic.

837
00:48:17,620 --> 00:48:21,440
 I thought the staff brought energy, the players brought energy, managers brought energy.

838
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:23,220
 It was just a good moment.

839
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,140
 And to me, this is exactly what men do, right?

840
00:48:26,900 --> 00:48:28,700
 And young ladies, too, the athletics.

841
00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:34,160
 What we want to teach them is, no matter what's going on, you've still got to get up and get better every day.

842
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:35,780
 You've got to get up and do your job.

843
00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:38,420
 And that's what we're telling these guys.

844
00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:42,580
 That's what we're preaching to these guys, because this is going to go beyond the game right now.

845
00:48:42,660 --> 00:48:48,120
 This is going to take them now to the next venture in their life when they're husbands and parents.

846
00:48:48,300 --> 00:48:50,420
 And they go through rough patches.

847
00:48:50,980 --> 00:48:52,120
 You know, what do you have to do?

848
00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:53,720
 You've got to get up and you've got to get back to work.

849
00:48:53,860 --> 00:48:55,860
 So we're truly excited.

850
00:48:56,220 --> 00:48:57,580
 We know we've got the right group.

851
00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:01,040
 We've just got to get through this little storm that we're in right now.

852
00:49:01,540 --> 00:49:03,020
 Coach, you've had a couple of those storms.

853
00:49:03,100 --> 00:49:04,100
 You've been here eight seasons.

854
00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:06,620
 And Dallas Howell's been here six seasons.

855
00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:10,880
 And Dallas said something that was really powerful, that, you know, the couple times that happened,

856
00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:12,400
 it seemed to be a turning point.

857
00:49:12,780 --> 00:49:13,920
 Things got better after that.

858
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:14,800
 And they really did.

859
00:49:14,860 --> 00:49:17,680
 You just had to find that moment where you dig down deep and you fix it.

860
00:49:18,060 --> 00:49:23,920
 And when I say that, I say that in a way that things are going to turn around if you really, truly want them to.

861
00:49:24,040 --> 00:49:24,620
 Yeah, exactly.

862
00:49:24,620 --> 00:49:31,500
 I mean, the bottom line is, you know, we always tell our guys, when things go bad, don't get too low.

863
00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:34,400
 And when things are good, don't get too high.

864
00:49:34,500 --> 00:49:39,220
 You want to make sure that you're staying and your focus needs to be to continue to grow.

865
00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:44,020
 And these guys, you know, I got a lot of trust in Dallas Howell.

866
00:49:44,100 --> 00:49:45,900
 He's somebody that's been in the program for a while.

867
00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:46,940
 Guys love him.

868
00:49:47,180 --> 00:49:49,160
 They really, truly listen to him.

869
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:51,300
 And like I said, I think we've got the right guys.

870
00:49:51,300 --> 00:49:56,760
 We just, again, we've got to make sure that we're maintaining the culture

871
00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:01,400
 and we're continuing to set the standard of what's the expectation of what we have to do.

872
00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:03,800
 And I truly believe these guys can do that.

873
00:50:04,380 --> 00:50:10,280
 You know, Coach, one of those losses to North Florida and one of the unique things about North Florida is Matthew Driscoll left.

874
00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:12,400
 They named Bobby Kenner at the interim.

875
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:14,740
 And that staff's been together for nearly 15 years.

876
00:50:14,900 --> 00:50:16,740
 I got to talk to Bobby before the game.

877
00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:21,600
 And he was rattling off former players that had stopped by practices throughout the course of the year.

878
00:50:22,100 --> 00:50:25,500
 Washita Minu, Evangondea Rosa, some of those names UNA fans would remember.

879
00:50:25,660 --> 00:50:29,960
 For you, I'm just interested in Dallas Howell, six of the eight years he's been on your roster.

880
00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:32,540
 Will Soucy, who's actually, I guess, surprised everybody.

881
00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:34,520
 He came up for the game on Saturday.

882
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:37,440
 Five of the first seven years, he was on your roster.

883
00:50:37,640 --> 00:50:39,540
 And you've built this program up.

884
00:50:39,900 --> 00:50:41,880
 Seeing one, Dallas' commitment, Will's commitment.

885
00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:44,760
 But then seeing a guy like Will Soucy still wanting to come around.

886
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:46,160
 I mean, what does that say to you?

887
00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:48,200
 You know, Damien Forrest and Tay Fields, right?

888
00:50:48,260 --> 00:50:49,440
 Those guys were here all summer.

889
00:50:49,820 --> 00:50:56,640
 Heck, Damien rented an Airbnb for the entire month of August to practice here and lift here before he went to Europe.

890
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,300
 Which was great because those two guys played against each other last week.

891
00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:01,580
 Which was a great thing.

892
00:51:01,660 --> 00:51:03,360
 I mean, it's fun to see your guys like that.

893
00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:05,140
 We got to watch the game.

894
00:51:05,540 --> 00:51:08,300
 And you know how they shake hands prior to the game, both teams.

895
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:12,040
 It was great to see those two guys embrace at half court.

896
00:51:12,100 --> 00:51:13,240
 And it was a long embrace, too.

897
00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:14,360
 It was kind of cool to see that.

898
00:51:15,240 --> 00:51:16,040
 But you know what?

899
00:51:16,780 --> 00:51:24,960
 Going back to Dallas Howell, being here for six years, he is the only player in the nation that is a six-year senior that has only been at one school.

900
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:33,760
 And that, I think, speaks volumes of the commitment that this young man has not only for the University of North Alabama, but for the city of Florence.

901
00:51:34,340 --> 00:51:37,380
 Yeah, and his leadership at a time like this is really valuable.

902
00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:38,300
 A hundred percent.

903
00:51:38,820 --> 00:51:40,500
 I mean, it's invaluable, right?

904
00:51:40,580 --> 00:51:45,320
 Because, you know, one thing I've always said, when things are going well, anybody can be up.

905
00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,720
 But how are you as a team when you face adversity?

906
00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:55,460
 And having a guy like that, you know, he always drives hope to our guys.

907
00:51:55,580 --> 00:51:59,580
 He always makes sure that these guys are just continuing to get better every day.

908
00:51:59,820 --> 00:52:04,660
 Now, Coach, there's still some positives to take away from this weekend, and one of them, I think, very quietly.

909
00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:05,600
 Kevin Dekovicic.

910
00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:06,000
 Yeah.

911
00:52:06,060 --> 00:52:08,400
 In two games, he averaged 18 points per game.

912
00:52:08,500 --> 00:52:09,780
 19 against North Florida.

913
00:52:10,380 --> 00:52:15,520
 17 against Jacksonville shot at a high clip as well, over 50% from the field in both games.

914
00:52:15,580 --> 00:52:18,540
 And we saw Kev get off to an incredible start in November.

915
00:52:18,940 --> 00:52:21,940
 Kind of slowed down a little bit in December through the first couple of conference games.

916
00:52:22,020 --> 00:52:25,640
 He's just a sophomore, but how encouraging is it to see him kind of explode again?

917
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:29,960
 Yeah, you know, he's a guy that we put in a tough position this year.

918
00:52:30,040 --> 00:52:31,820
 We gave him an opportunity.

919
00:52:32,180 --> 00:52:36,540
 You know, remember, he was limited minutes last year and was given a big role this year.

920
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:39,460
 And he's, I love the way that he's embraced it.

921
00:52:40,220 --> 00:52:44,020
 But like anything else, when you're young like that, you're going to have to, you're going to go through your ups and downs.

922
00:52:44,260 --> 00:52:47,160
 And hopefully right now, he's kind of turned the corner, right?

923
00:52:47,160 --> 00:52:53,560
 He's already gone through hitting the wall, and now he can continue on playing the way he's been playing, especially these last two games.

924
00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:56,400
 And so many times we saw him just use that speed.

925
00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:58,440
 Is that one of the strong points of his game?

926
00:52:58,580 --> 00:52:58,980
 No doubt.

927
00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:02,460
 That's one of the things you don't have to worry about with Kevin.

928
00:53:03,100 --> 00:53:06,200
 With Kevin, in fact, you're going to have to rein him in.

929
00:53:07,020 --> 00:53:10,120
 He's one that you rein in, which is the ones I love to coach, right?

930
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:14,200
 The ones I got to prod, those are harder, right?

931
00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:18,660
 But a guy like him, you know he's going to go at 100% every single time.

932
00:53:19,160 --> 00:53:21,640
 And like I said, it's easier for us to coach.

933
00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:27,720
 Coach, there was on Saturday, a little tough to get some rebounds at times, but there was one guy that really stood out to me,

934
00:53:28,020 --> 00:53:30,980
 that really fought hard for some rebounds, and that was true freshman Braylon Patton.

935
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:34,160
 One of the smaller guys out there, but really fought hard and got five boards.

936
00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:37,380
 Yeah, well, we challenged the guards that day.

937
00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:39,700
 We challenged the guards to help Neil, right?

938
00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:42,120
 Neil right now leads the league in rebounding.

939
00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:46,480
 And, you know, he just garners so much attention.

940
00:53:47,020 --> 00:53:50,620
 When a shot goes up, you're going to see two guys on him just trying to take him out.

941
00:53:51,420 --> 00:53:55,760
 So now what I told our guys was, you know, this is a game where we need to help him.

942
00:53:56,140 --> 00:53:57,880
 We need to help him defensive rebound.

943
00:53:58,020 --> 00:53:59,360
 We need to help him offensive rebound.

944
00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:07,500
 And we challenged our guards to make sure that they got a minimum of four defensive rebounds in the game.

945
00:54:07,700 --> 00:54:12,660
 And that kid played 13 minutes and grabbed five rebounds, four of them defensive.

946
00:54:13,460 --> 00:54:17,300
 Now, how he got the offensive rebound, I don't know, because he should have been balancing the floor.

947
00:54:17,840 --> 00:54:20,480
 But he ended up with the offensive rebound, so we'll take it.

948
00:54:20,860 --> 00:54:24,040
 And speaking of Cornelius Williams, he's here tonight as well, Coach.

949
00:54:24,500 --> 00:54:27,220
 Monster weekend from the top rebounder in the A-Sun.

950
00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:30,380
 North Florida, 28 points, 14 rebounds.

951
00:54:31,220 --> 00:54:33,500
 Jacksonville, 17 points, just six rebounds.

952
00:54:33,580 --> 00:54:37,060
 But then you look, against North Florida, he was 13 of 18 from the field.

953
00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:38,260
 I mean, that's unbelievable.

954
00:54:38,420 --> 00:54:43,300
 Then Jacksonville, 11 of 14 from the free throw line, which is big for a big fella as well.

955
00:54:43,380 --> 00:54:45,500
 What about Neal's explosion this weekend?

956
00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:53,280
 Yeah, I mean, Neal's a guy that when he's locked in and ready, he can just dominate a game.

957
00:54:54,120 --> 00:55:02,040
 And that's going to be his challenge, is in all these games that we play, he's going to garner a lot of attention.

958
00:55:02,460 --> 00:55:09,040
 And he's going to have to understand that a lot of teams also are going to tease him and get on him, right,

959
00:55:09,100 --> 00:55:11,060
 to see if he can lose focus.

960
00:55:11,660 --> 00:55:14,120
 And that's going to be the challenge for him, is to maintain his focus.

961
00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:21,100
 We told him today in practice that for us, the energy that we bring to practice has to be shared first with our team.

962
00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:25,960
 We don't need to be sharing energy with the opposing team or any of their players or any of their fans.

963
00:55:26,340 --> 00:55:28,180
 Our energy is for us, okay?

964
00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:35,680
 Our focus needs to be in the building up of the team that's on the court for us.

965
00:55:35,820 --> 00:55:38,040
 We don't need to share our energy with anybody else.

966
00:55:38,140 --> 00:55:39,560
 And I think that's going to be a challenge for him.

967
00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:42,480
 But when he does that, like you said, he's a dominant player.

968
00:55:43,020 --> 00:55:47,660
 Both of those free throw numbers for Neal, 11 of 14, those are career highs for him, hit a lot.

969
00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:50,220
 Kev went 6 of 7 in that game as well.

970
00:55:50,300 --> 00:55:54,740
 And, Coach, as you look at that number and you're singling out a positive, 23 of 30 from the line.

971
00:55:55,180 --> 00:55:56,900
 A game like that can pay off down the road.

972
00:55:56,940 --> 00:56:01,140
 If you're shooting free throws like that every game and you're getting that many chances, that's a pretty good number.

973
00:56:01,140 --> 00:56:01,980
 Well, think about it.

974
00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:06,300
 If you get a guy like Neal who's going to get a lot of – he's going to receive a lot of contact, right?

975
00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:14,100
 So if he can get to the line and shoot it above a 70% clip, you know, we talk about we never want to leave money on the table, right?

976
00:56:14,560 --> 00:56:21,280
 So whenever you can do that, you're really – I mean, Neal last year was a 65% free throw shooter.

977
00:56:21,760 --> 00:56:22,920
 I don't know what he's shooting this year.

978
00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:28,280
 I think he's well over 70%, close to – I want to say close to about 75% from the line.

979
00:56:28,900 --> 00:56:33,760
 So for me, that improvement right there, that's about another – that's another three, four points a game.

980
00:56:34,280 --> 00:56:38,840
 And we talked to him about that, that that's got to be now his next thing where, you know,

981
00:56:38,900 --> 00:56:42,500
 he's got to be extremely efficient on the offensive end of the floor.

982
00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:43,820
 You nailed it.

983
00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:44,640
 74.

984
00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:45,780
 74, yeah.

985
00:56:46,600 --> 00:56:48,820
 Coach, a 1-5 start in A-sun play.

986
00:56:48,820 --> 00:56:54,340
 I know it's not the start we expected or thought we'd have right now, but this community –

987
00:56:54,340 --> 00:56:55,880
 I know Bobby Wallace reached out to you.

988
00:56:55,920 --> 00:57:00,160
 Ike Fowler, who's here tonight, reached out to you over the weekend to talk to you.

989
00:57:00,220 --> 00:57:02,840
 I'm watching the team after a disappointing loss on Saturday.

990
00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:08,260
 They walk around the gym and the fans are still loving on them like it's the A-sun semifinals last year, right?

991
00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:12,020
 I mean, how big is that still having this community with this team balled in?

992
00:57:12,140 --> 00:57:12,700
 It's amazing.

993
00:57:12,940 --> 00:57:14,200
 And H.L. Noah, right?

994
00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:18,540
 H.L. Noah sends me a text message all the time, you know, encouraging.

995
00:57:18,840 --> 00:57:25,480
 And to me, when you have, you know, folks that – the Rileys, for example, who come out all the time.

996
00:57:25,580 --> 00:57:28,220
 You know, I can go on and on listing names.

997
00:57:29,080 --> 00:57:35,720
 What's been most impressive to me is not only that the folks are coming out, but they're staying, okay?

998
00:57:35,780 --> 00:57:41,420
 And they're supporting our guys, even though they know they're going through a tough time right now, they're there to support our young men.

999
00:57:41,420 --> 00:57:44,560
 And they don't understand how important and valuable that is.

1000
00:57:44,860 --> 00:57:48,480
 But at the same time, I tell our players, you have to protect that.

1001
00:57:49,180 --> 00:57:56,480
 That's something that you have to protect, that you have to make sure that our fan base understands that you're giving it everything you have out there.

1002
00:57:56,980 --> 00:57:58,440
 And you owe them that.

1003
00:57:58,540 --> 00:58:02,460
 You owe the ex-players, players that have built this, right?

1004
00:58:02,640 --> 00:58:09,140
 Because I remember when we first got here in 2018, you know, you remember how Flowers Hall was, right?

1005
00:58:09,700 --> 00:58:13,760
 And then you go and fast forward to last year and look where it is.

1006
00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:26,840
 And now this year, what I tell our guys, that right there is how much this community truly, truly just embraces our programs in our athletic department.

1007
00:58:27,160 --> 00:58:29,080
 And we have to pay that forward.

1008
00:58:29,180 --> 00:58:32,080
 We have to pay that back with our effort, our energy.

1009
00:58:33,020 --> 00:58:34,620
 Again, we want to win every game.

1010
00:58:34,700 --> 00:58:36,120
 I'm sure the guys want to win every game.

1011
00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:45,260
 But I promise you, if our fan base sees that our players are playing at the highest level that they can and they're giving it everything that they have, they won't disappoint.

1012
00:58:45,660 --> 00:58:47,040
 They haven't disappointed yet.

1013
00:58:47,120 --> 00:58:52,020
 And I'm truly, truly grateful for just the way that they come out and support our players.

1014
00:58:52,500 --> 00:58:54,560
 Five of the next six on the road, Coach.

1015
00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:55,700
 Tough swing coming up.

1016
00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:56,940
 Queens Wednesday.

1017
00:58:57,180 --> 00:59:01,100
 Central Arkansas inside the bank right now set for a 6 o'clock game.

1018
00:59:01,660 --> 00:59:03,700
 Coach, what's the key to the bounce back this week?

1019
00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:06,720
 Well, the key is, again, it's really on us.

1020
00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:10,920
 Our focus right now is what do we have to do?

1021
00:59:11,000 --> 00:59:12,600
 Our identity has to be on display.

1022
00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:16,440
 So it's got to be the way we play offensively, the way we play defensively.

1023
00:59:16,700 --> 00:59:17,640
 Our energy, right?

1024
00:59:17,660 --> 00:59:19,800
 We have to be an energy-rich team right now.

1025
00:59:20,140 --> 00:59:23,340
 I think our guys are starting to figure, they need to figure that part out.

1026
00:59:23,580 --> 00:59:27,380
 Because, again, anybody, when things are going well, anybody can cheer you on.

1027
00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:29,540
 But what happens when things aren't going well?

1028
00:59:29,880 --> 00:59:32,560
 Are you providing energy, that positive energy?

1029
00:59:32,560 --> 00:59:39,520
 One of the things that we stress with our guys is when things go wrong, I don't want to see guys with their heads down and slumped shoulders, right?

1030
00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:41,340
 Bring your chest up.

1031
00:59:41,460 --> 00:59:42,040
 Bring your face up.

1032
00:59:42,040 --> 00:59:42,740
 It's okay, man.

1033
00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:44,740
 Just keep moving forward, right?

1034
00:59:44,980 --> 00:59:48,800
 So for me right now, my focus is our team.

1035
00:59:49,140 --> 00:59:51,780
 How are we improving on the offensive end of the floor?

1036
00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:54,500
 And how are we improving on the defensive end of the floor?

1037
00:59:54,860 --> 00:59:59,320
 And, again, it's all about every day just stacking the days, just get better.

1038
00:59:59,820 --> 01:00:01,240
 Continues this week, a split week.

1039
01:00:01,340 --> 01:00:02,380
 We hope you'll join us Saturday.

1040
01:00:02,720 --> 01:00:07,300
 Inside of the bank is the men welcoming Central Arkansas at 6 o'clock.

1041
01:00:07,380 --> 01:00:10,720
 Mike and I will be with the team at Queens on Wednesday night.

1042
01:00:10,800 --> 01:00:12,600
 That game will tip off at 6 o'clock as well.

1043
01:00:12,680 --> 01:00:15,100
 Coach, we appreciate you as always, and best of luck this week.

1044
01:00:15,200 --> 01:00:15,640
 Thank you.

1045
01:00:15,860 --> 01:00:16,340
 Roar Lions.

1046
01:00:16,460 --> 01:00:18,180
 With Alabama head coach Tony Pujol.

1047
01:00:18,300 --> 01:00:21,220
 Coming up next, we've got Dallas Howell, Cornelius Williams in the house.

1048
01:00:21,300 --> 01:00:23,260
 We've got more fun to come from Lost Pizza Shoals.

1049
01:00:23,360 --> 01:00:25,720
 This is UNA Basketball Night on 93.9 The Score.

1050
01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:32,160
 No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered.

1051
01:00:33,360 --> 01:00:36,980
 We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza.

1052
01:00:37,760 --> 01:00:41,300
 Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations.

1053
01:00:42,080 --> 01:00:45,380
 Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza.

1054
01:00:46,760 --> 01:00:48,640
 Feed the team, feel the fans.

1055
01:00:49,140 --> 01:00:50,260
 Go big with Lost Pizza.

1056
01:00:53,700 --> 01:00:57,360
 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy,

1057
01:00:57,620 --> 01:01:02,720
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1058
01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:07,500
 We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,

1059
01:01:07,860 --> 01:01:10,760
 helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.

1060
01:01:11,280 --> 01:01:14,500
 Therapies coupled with dry needling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

1061
01:01:14,820 --> 01:01:19,440
 In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.

1062
01:01:19,760 --> 01:01:23,300
 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.

1063
01:01:23,500 --> 01:01:25,300
 Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.

1064
01:01:25,720 --> 01:01:28,580
 Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

1065
01:01:28,820 --> 01:01:31,240
 Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan,

1066
01:01:31,480 --> 01:01:35,540
 or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,

1067
01:01:36,040 --> 01:01:39,200
 Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

1068
01:01:39,620 --> 01:01:41,160
 Our local agents make it simple,

1069
01:01:41,580 --> 01:01:44,760
 so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard,

1070
01:01:44,760 --> 01:01:49,160
 or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

1071
01:01:49,660 --> 01:01:54,000
 Again, that's 256-648-5710.

1072
01:01:56,460 --> 01:01:59,120
 Imagine a bank where you feel at home.

1073
01:01:59,620 --> 01:02:06,060
 Real people living right here in your community are the heart of Bank Independent and everything we do.

1074
01:02:06,440 --> 01:02:14,540
 You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together that create a stronger community full of endless potential.

1075
01:02:15,660 --> 01:02:20,360
 For over 75 years, we've served this place we all call home.

1076
01:02:20,920 --> 01:02:21,920
 Bank Independent.

1077
01:02:22,300 --> 01:02:24,220
 We're invested in you.

1078
01:02:24,740 --> 01:02:25,740
 Member FDIC.

1079
01:02:26,120 --> 01:02:29,940
 Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?

1080
01:02:30,420 --> 01:02:32,820
 This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

1081
01:02:33,140 --> 01:02:37,200
 Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

1082
01:02:37,500 --> 01:02:46,680
 You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.

1083
01:02:47,040 --> 01:02:51,600
 Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

1084
01:02:52,020 --> 01:02:54,960
 We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.

1085
01:02:55,300 --> 01:02:56,120
 And roar lines.

1086
01:02:56,780 --> 01:02:58,420
 Join us at Singing River Brewery.

1087
01:02:59,300 --> 01:03:01,380
 Your local hub for great beer and community fun.

1088
01:03:02,660 --> 01:03:05,320
 Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

1089
01:03:07,320 --> 01:03:10,000
 Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar.

1090
01:03:10,440 --> 01:03:12,360
 And 50% goes to UNA Athletics.

1091
01:03:13,300 --> 01:03:16,880
 Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

1092
01:03:19,960 --> 01:03:21,460
 Don't miss out on the good times.

1093
01:03:21,780 --> 01:03:25,140
 Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

1094
01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:27,260
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1095
01:03:27,700 --> 01:03:30,600
 Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine

1096
01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:34,080
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1097
01:03:34,500 --> 01:03:39,400
 the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence.

1098
01:03:39,880 --> 01:03:41,800
 In the mood to relax and wine down?

1099
01:03:42,220 --> 01:03:46,180
 Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers,

1100
01:03:46,560 --> 01:03:49,380
 all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie,

1101
01:03:49,760 --> 01:03:52,760
 and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere.

1102
01:03:53,420 --> 01:03:57,260
 Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market,

1103
01:03:57,660 --> 01:04:01,560
 located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater.

1104
01:04:02,020 --> 01:04:02,320
 Cheers!

1105
01:04:04,320 --> 01:04:19,860
 The fun continues down here from Las Feet's Shoals.

1106
01:04:19,920 --> 01:04:21,360
 This is UNA Basketball Night.

1107
01:04:21,480 --> 01:04:22,960
 Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel with you.

1108
01:04:23,220 --> 01:04:27,480
 We got the top rebounder in the Atlantic Sun, Cornelius Williams, in the house as well.

1109
01:04:27,480 --> 01:04:29,580
 A monster effort this weekend.

1110
01:04:29,740 --> 01:04:32,280
 He's back and rolling, ready to go to Queens on Wednesday.

1111
01:04:32,600 --> 01:04:36,000
 And, Neil, first thing, you led the league in rebounding last year.

1112
01:04:36,100 --> 01:04:37,400
 You got a chance to do something.

1113
01:04:37,560 --> 01:04:42,260
 I think it's only been done eight or nine other times in the league since 1979,

1114
01:04:42,900 --> 01:04:45,700
 and that's lead the league in rebounding in back-to-back years.

1115
01:04:45,800 --> 01:04:47,860
 It's only happened like eight or nine times.

1116
01:04:47,940 --> 01:04:50,860
 Emmanuel Littles did it a few years ago for North Alabama.

1117
01:04:50,860 --> 01:04:55,900
 But, I mean, obviously rebounding's big for you, but being the rebound champ,

1118
01:04:55,980 --> 01:04:57,260
 I mean, how key is that to you?

1119
01:04:57,700 --> 01:05:03,460
 You know, coming in every day, just going against guys that's going to push me every day.

1120
01:05:04,200 --> 01:05:11,400
 Dante, the other bigs that's red-shirted this year, they come in and push me every day.

1121
01:05:11,540 --> 01:05:15,080
 So, you know, it feels good to go out there and pay it back to them,

1122
01:05:15,420 --> 01:05:17,200
 the guys that's not getting to play this year.

1123
01:05:17,200 --> 01:05:21,180
 There's red shirts, just pay it back to them and show them that they're getting me better.

1124
01:05:22,280 --> 01:05:25,480
 So, Neil, you've had nine games with double-digit rebounds.

1125
01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:27,800
 You've had nine games with double-digit points.

1126
01:05:27,840 --> 01:05:33,580
 But on Saturday, despite it being as tough as it was, the free-throw shooting, 11 of 14,

1127
01:05:33,760 --> 01:05:36,740
 I mean, what was working for you from the line in that game?

1128
01:05:37,660 --> 01:05:43,640
 Like Coach P, after every practice he had, we started doing like 7-8-9,

1129
01:05:43,640 --> 01:05:47,760
 which is you've got to make seven free throws as a team in a row.

1130
01:05:48,020 --> 01:05:52,200
 And then you go up to all the way up to 9-7, then you go 8, then you go 9.

1131
01:05:52,220 --> 01:05:53,460
 We went to 8-9-10.

1132
01:05:53,980 --> 01:05:55,220
 We accomplished that.

1133
01:05:55,360 --> 01:06:00,900
 And then after that, he told us, he started telling me and the guys that you've got to make 10 in a row

1134
01:06:00,900 --> 01:06:02,060
 before you leave every day.

1135
01:06:02,200 --> 01:06:03,780
 And the first day I did it, it was annoying.

1136
01:06:03,900 --> 01:06:05,160
 I couldn't get it.

1137
01:06:05,360 --> 01:06:11,100
 And then eventually, as I started doing it all the time, I was able to do it.

1138
01:06:11,200 --> 01:06:14,400
 And now in the game, it just feels like I'm doing a drill again.

1139
01:06:14,560 --> 01:06:16,900
 So, you know, that's how I feel about it.

1140
01:06:17,740 --> 01:06:20,860
 Against North Florida, you had 28 points, 14 rebounds.

1141
01:06:20,940 --> 01:06:23,700
 Against Jacksonville, 17 points, 6 rebounds.

1142
01:06:23,840 --> 01:06:25,680
 And Coach Poole kind of mentioned this.

1143
01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:29,260
 I mean, now when a shot goes up, there's two guys trying to box you out, right?

1144
01:06:29,260 --> 01:06:34,000
 Are you feeling it more physical out there this year, as people know, that you are just a rebound magnet?

1145
01:06:34,240 --> 01:06:34,640
 Yes, sir.

1146
01:06:34,720 --> 01:06:37,940
 Definitely, like, me and my mom talk after every game.

1147
01:06:38,300 --> 01:06:44,840
 And she always, she be getting on to me sometimes when she see that I got six rebounds or seven rebounds.

1148
01:06:44,940 --> 01:06:50,380
 And I be telling her, like, these games, now they're, like, they're double blocking me out.

1149
01:06:50,480 --> 01:06:57,600
 So, like, you know, with my team around, like, Coach told beginning of the game, the last game we played,

1150
01:06:58,200 --> 01:07:00,320
 he told the guards they got to get in there and rebound.

1151
01:07:00,320 --> 01:07:03,700
 And, you know, Braylon came in and got the five rebounds.

1152
01:07:04,120 --> 01:07:05,040
 And 13 minutes.

1153
01:07:05,300 --> 01:07:09,500
 So, that's going to be a big help for the guards coming in.

1154
01:07:09,600 --> 01:07:15,740
 Because they always going to be focusing on blocking me out, not knowing that our whole team rebounds.

1155
01:07:15,820 --> 01:07:19,140
 So, that's a big thing that we do as just a unit.

1156
01:07:20,200 --> 01:07:22,260
 Neil, I got to take this off the court for a minute.

1157
01:07:22,420 --> 01:07:23,280
 Because I heard a rumor.

1158
01:07:23,740 --> 01:07:25,160
 And I just got to know if it's true, man.

1159
01:07:25,600 --> 01:07:26,380
 Is it your birthday today?

1160
01:07:26,700 --> 01:07:27,500
 It was yesterday.

1161
01:07:27,720 --> 01:07:28,220
 It was yesterday.

1162
01:07:28,400 --> 01:07:28,960
 It was yesterday.

1163
01:07:29,500 --> 01:07:31,540
 Well, happy belated birthday.

1164
01:07:31,720 --> 01:07:32,160
 Yes, sir.

1165
01:07:32,280 --> 01:07:32,660
 Yes, sir.

1166
01:07:32,660 --> 01:07:33,100
 Thank you.

1167
01:07:33,180 --> 01:07:34,060
 Good thing it was yesterday.

1168
01:07:34,060 --> 01:07:36,380
 Because if it was today, we'd make everybody sing happy birthday.

1169
01:07:36,540 --> 01:07:38,060
 But we won't make them do that to you.

1170
01:07:38,120 --> 01:07:39,080
 How did you spend your birthday?

1171
01:07:40,120 --> 01:07:40,860
 I'm going to be honest.

1172
01:07:40,920 --> 01:07:41,880
 I had one out to eat.

1173
01:07:42,020 --> 01:07:43,500
 And then I went home and played 2K.

1174
01:07:43,720 --> 01:07:44,340
 There you go.

1175
01:07:45,960 --> 01:07:47,220
 So, is this a big 3-0?

1176
01:07:47,340 --> 01:07:47,940
 Is that what I'm hearing?

1177
01:07:48,480 --> 01:07:48,840
 Yeah.

1178
01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:54,440
 We got on 2K, just chilled, and went to sleep for the rest of the night.

1179
01:07:55,700 --> 01:07:57,000
 Sounds like you had a good night.

1180
01:07:57,200 --> 01:07:57,560
 Yes, sir.

1181
01:07:57,780 --> 01:08:02,860
 Well, Neil, let's just bring it back to this community, this journey that you've been on

1182
01:08:02,860 --> 01:08:03,300
 at UNA.

1183
01:08:03,420 --> 01:08:04,460
 You've been here two years now.

1184
01:08:04,720 --> 01:08:06,260
 You're close to your family in Mississippi.

1185
01:08:06,520 --> 01:08:07,760
 You're close to home a little bit.

1186
01:08:07,960 --> 01:08:09,620
 You've gotten to show these guys your home, too.

1187
01:08:09,720 --> 01:08:12,180
 But talk about how Florence has also kind of become your home.

1188
01:08:12,440 --> 01:08:19,080
 You know, when I came here last year, everybody welcomed me in with open hands.

1189
01:08:19,080 --> 01:08:27,620
 And the community, just downtown and in the games, I started meeting people even in gas stations.

1190
01:08:27,840 --> 01:08:33,700
 And it felt like home with, like, some of the fans that I see out.

1191
01:08:33,800 --> 01:08:35,300
 They always come and speak to me.

1192
01:08:35,400 --> 01:08:39,380
 And just coming in Las Peas, I always feel like a family.

1193
01:08:39,920 --> 01:08:42,160
 And I'm always doing these talk shows.

1194
01:08:42,440 --> 01:08:46,800
 When I walk in, it feels like I'm going to a family reunion.

1195
01:08:47,440 --> 01:08:49,400
 And, you know, I'm thankful for that.

1196
01:08:50,340 --> 01:08:52,900
 Let's stay off the court for a moment in your car.

1197
01:08:53,140 --> 01:08:54,260
 You're a big car guy.

1198
01:08:54,600 --> 01:08:57,140
 You lit up when we brought up your car earlier.

1199
01:08:57,540 --> 01:08:58,280
 Tell us about your car.

1200
01:08:58,340 --> 01:08:59,500
 What's your favorite thing about it?

1201
01:09:00,260 --> 01:09:05,120
 The favorite thing about it was Coach P won't like the loud noise it makes.

1202
01:09:05,700 --> 01:09:08,740
 And the campus don't like it either.

1203
01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:10,460
 So, I had to kind of calm down.

1204
01:09:10,780 --> 01:09:15,300
 So, I actually haven't been driving it a lot unless I'm off campus.

1205
01:09:15,640 --> 01:09:16,180
 Funny story.

1206
01:09:16,220 --> 01:09:18,660
 I was in the office Saturday before shoot-around.

1207
01:09:19,080 --> 01:09:21,920
 And shoot-around's at, what, 9, 9.30, something like that.

1208
01:09:21,960 --> 01:09:23,540
 I'm getting ready to go down to shoot-around.

1209
01:09:23,900 --> 01:09:24,920
 And my office is high.

1210
01:09:24,980 --> 01:09:25,760
 I don't have any windows.

1211
01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:27,020
 But I heard you pull in.

1212
01:09:27,060 --> 01:09:28,220
 And I said, oh, Neil's here.

1213
01:09:29,180 --> 01:09:30,460
 Yeah, it's loud.

1214
01:09:31,420 --> 01:09:34,960
 Sometimes I get annoyed about it because everybody knows where I'm going at night.

1215
01:09:34,960 --> 01:09:38,380
 Or when I'm pulling up or when I'm leaving somewhere.

1216
01:09:38,720 --> 01:09:44,300
 So, sometimes I even use some of my teammate cars to go somewhere when it's too late.

1217
01:09:44,700 --> 01:09:49,620
 You know, speaking of our office, we got a little saying in our office that involves you.

1218
01:09:49,960 --> 01:09:50,540
 It's kind of funny.

1219
01:09:50,820 --> 01:09:54,220
 So, my office, I can look down at the parking lot where everybody usually parks.

1220
01:09:54,260 --> 01:09:55,740
 Lotto right there below the gym.

1221
01:09:56,600 --> 01:09:59,160
 Everybody in our office, it's Drew Barton, a lot of the creatives.

1222
01:09:59,380 --> 01:10:00,200
 Ben's in there as well.

1223
01:10:00,620 --> 01:10:01,760
 But we always have a saying.

1224
01:10:01,760 --> 01:10:05,200
 And any time we hear that loud noise from your car, we go, oh, there goes Neil.

1225
01:10:06,180 --> 01:10:06,820
 Oh, yeah.

1226
01:10:06,840 --> 01:10:07,680
 Either coming or going.

1227
01:10:07,700 --> 01:10:08,800
 I done kind of calmed down, no.

1228
01:10:08,900 --> 01:10:09,840
 I done kind of calmed down.

1229
01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:14,820
 I used to be overdoing it, but I done calmed down a lot now.

1230
01:10:15,460 --> 01:10:19,020
 Now, you do have a little social media with your car too, right?

1231
01:10:19,080 --> 01:10:19,440
 Oh, yeah.

1232
01:10:19,440 --> 01:10:20,720
 Tell us about that a little bit.

1233
01:10:21,460 --> 01:10:25,900
 So, like, on my off time, when we don't have practice or something for, like, a while,

1234
01:10:25,900 --> 01:10:32,160
 I go to, like, legal pits, which is, like, where cars is, like, sliding in circles and stuff like that.

1235
01:10:32,860 --> 01:10:35,240
 And that's what I do on my off time.

1236
01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:37,700
 That's, like, one of my hobbies other than playing the game.

1237
01:10:37,820 --> 01:10:40,480
 I go to car meets and sit back and chill.

1238
01:10:40,580 --> 01:10:42,880
 Sometimes I won't even do the circles.

1239
01:10:43,060 --> 01:10:48,580
 I'll just go and watch and record just so I have memories back when I'm older.

1240
01:10:49,080 --> 01:10:50,720
 And where does this love of cars come from?

1241
01:10:51,820 --> 01:10:52,560
 Wait, say it again?

1242
01:10:52,560 --> 01:10:55,760
 Where does your love and enthusiasm for cars come from?

1243
01:10:56,320 --> 01:11:05,280
 So, my mom, she actually surprised me with the car my freshman year at Western Carolina.

1244
01:11:05,700 --> 01:11:08,980
 She surprised me with the car after I practiced on family day.

1245
01:11:09,180 --> 01:11:15,480
 My whole family came down, and at first I had an Altima, and then I got the Charger,

1246
01:11:15,780 --> 01:11:18,440
 and I fell in love with it as soon as I started driving.

1247
01:11:18,440 --> 01:11:22,680
 And at first I was scared of driving because it was a big horsepower difference.

1248
01:11:22,920 --> 01:11:28,400
 But when I finally got comfortable with driving, then I started trying stuff, which I shouldn't have been doing.

1249
01:11:28,560 --> 01:11:33,840
 But at first I started trying stuff, and I just started liking it, and then I started watching car video.

1250
01:11:34,000 --> 01:11:35,680
 Like, that's another thing I do when I sleep.

1251
01:11:36,200 --> 01:11:39,340
 Like, I don't sleep with the TV off.

1252
01:11:39,380 --> 01:11:42,920
 I cut the TV on and cut on a car show or a 2K, and that's how I fall asleep.

1253
01:11:43,800 --> 01:11:44,120
 Wow.

1254
01:11:44,240 --> 01:11:47,380
 So, let me ask you this, because I got a toddler at home that does as well.

1255
01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:48,980
 Mine's into Hot Wheels right now.

1256
01:11:49,040 --> 01:11:50,000
 Were you ever into Hot Wheels?

1257
01:11:50,340 --> 01:11:50,780
 Oh, yeah.

1258
01:11:51,100 --> 01:11:54,700
 Yeah, I actually just got a Hot Wheel from Max.

1259
01:11:54,800 --> 01:11:59,000
 He's a little kid that's a big supporter, a big fan of mine.

1260
01:11:59,240 --> 01:12:01,780
 He gave me a Hot Wheel for my birthday after the game.

1261
01:12:01,920 --> 01:12:02,560
 That's awesome.

1262
01:12:03,740 --> 01:12:04,320
 Yes, sir.

1263
01:12:04,400 --> 01:12:05,880
 If you get any car out there, what are you getting?

1264
01:12:07,180 --> 01:12:08,520
 I'm only getting a Dodge.

1265
01:12:08,760 --> 01:12:13,160
 Like, regardless of how much money I get, I'm only getting a Dodge from now on.

1266
01:12:13,240 --> 01:12:14,400
 I done feeling a little with it.

1267
01:12:14,460 --> 01:12:15,900
 Like, it's a good, reliable car.

1268
01:12:16,140 --> 01:12:18,400
 It do cost a lot, but it's a reliable car.

1269
01:12:18,880 --> 01:12:21,360
 I like the sounds it makes.

1270
01:12:21,560 --> 01:12:27,580
 And if it was any car that I would get, I would probably get a Hellcat Charger, a wide body.

1271
01:12:28,120 --> 01:12:28,820
 Very nice.

1272
01:12:28,820 --> 01:12:33,400
 Well, Neil, big week coming up on the road at Queens at home against Central Arkansas.

1273
01:12:33,580 --> 01:12:36,020
 What's it going to take for this team to kind of get things back on track?

1274
01:12:36,540 --> 01:12:41,820
 You know, just staying connected, staying together through the hard times that we done had.

1275
01:12:42,400 --> 01:12:48,680
 But today we had a great practice, and tomorrow I know we're going to have a great practice

1276
01:12:48,680 --> 01:12:49,760
 when we get off the plane.

1277
01:12:50,440 --> 01:12:54,720
 I just say being connected in, we're going to be fine.

1278
01:12:55,200 --> 01:12:57,740
 Well, man, we love watching the double-doubles, the put-back dunks.

1279
01:12:57,740 --> 01:12:59,540
 I didn't get to ask you, what's your favorite dunk of the year?

1280
01:13:00,400 --> 01:13:05,860
 Favorite dunk of the year, I'm going to say, I'm going to say it's like one of the first games.

1281
01:13:05,900 --> 01:13:07,840
 It's just like, I can't remember the game it was.

1282
01:13:07,900 --> 01:13:08,920
 I want to say Steelman.

1283
01:13:09,520 --> 01:13:11,900
 It was like one of the first games.

1284
01:13:12,560 --> 01:13:14,420
 It just felt good.

1285
01:13:15,240 --> 01:13:19,000
 My team was happy for me, and I was happy.

1286
01:13:19,320 --> 01:13:20,700
 And then it's just always exciting.

1287
01:13:20,820 --> 01:13:29,400
 I'm going to be like honest, every dunk is exciting for me just to see me getting the crowd into the game more

1288
01:13:29,400 --> 01:13:31,260
 when it's like a slump in the game.

1289
01:13:31,420 --> 01:13:33,780
 So I feel like every dunk is my favorite one.

1290
01:13:33,980 --> 01:13:35,860
 Well, same thing for us.

1291
01:13:35,980 --> 01:13:39,920
 Every dunk you have is our favorite as well, and we look forward to some more throughout the rest of this year.

1292
01:13:40,100 --> 01:13:41,500
 Cornelius Williams, thank you for joining us.

1293
01:13:41,720 --> 01:13:42,880
 Happy day after your birthday.

1294
01:13:43,060 --> 01:13:43,480
 Yes, sir.

1295
01:13:43,560 --> 01:13:43,960
 Thank you.

1296
01:13:44,200 --> 01:13:48,360
 Coming up next, Dallas Howell joins us from Los Pizza Shoals here in downtown Florence.

1297
01:13:48,360 --> 01:13:50,920
 This is UNA Basketball Night on 93.9 The Score.

1298
01:13:53,000 --> 01:13:57,180
 No matter the size of your team or your fan crew, Lost Pizza's got you covered.

1299
01:13:58,320 --> 01:14:02,000
 We're talking wings, salads, and the one and only Monster Pizza.

1300
01:14:02,740 --> 01:14:06,320
 Perfect for team dinners, watch parties, or post-game celebrations.

1301
01:14:07,100 --> 01:14:10,400
 Big plays deserve big flavor, and nobody delivers like Lost Pizza.

1302
01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:13,660
 Feed the team, feel the fans.

1303
01:14:14,080 --> 01:14:15,280
 Go big with Lost Pizza.

1304
01:14:18,600 --> 01:14:22,340
 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy,

1305
01:14:22,540 --> 01:14:27,680
 effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.

1306
01:14:27,900 --> 01:14:32,460
 We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,

1307
01:14:32,820 --> 01:14:35,720
 helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.

1308
01:14:36,260 --> 01:14:39,460
 Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.

1309
01:14:39,460 --> 01:14:44,400
 In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.

1310
01:14:44,700 --> 01:14:48,260
 Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.

1311
01:14:48,480 --> 01:14:50,260
 Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.

1312
01:14:50,700 --> 01:14:53,560
 Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

1313
01:14:54,000 --> 01:14:56,200
 Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan,

1314
01:14:56,500 --> 01:15:00,520
 or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,

1315
01:15:01,040 --> 01:15:04,180
 Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

1316
01:15:04,180 --> 01:15:09,740
 Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard,

1317
01:15:10,120 --> 01:15:14,160
 or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

1318
01:15:14,980 --> 01:15:18,940
 Again, that's 256-648-5710.

1319
01:15:21,040 --> 01:15:26,260
 Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal?

1320
01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:28,240
 Yeah, this isn't that.

1321
01:15:28,440 --> 01:15:32,420
 I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot.

1322
01:15:32,760 --> 01:15:36,140
 I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card,

1323
01:15:36,340 --> 01:15:38,900
 sign up for online banking, and have a positive balance.

1324
01:15:39,040 --> 01:15:39,600
 That's it.

1325
01:15:39,700 --> 01:15:41,580
 A 20% scholarship to UNA.

1326
01:15:41,780 --> 01:15:44,320
 When bank independent invests in students like me,

1327
01:15:44,420 --> 01:15:47,260
 they're investing in all of us and the future of our community.

1328
01:15:47,460 --> 01:15:48,160
 Bank independent.

1329
01:15:48,360 --> 01:15:49,800
 We're invested in your future.

1330
01:15:50,000 --> 01:15:50,900
 Member FDIC.

1331
01:15:50,900 --> 01:15:55,000
 Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?

1332
01:15:55,460 --> 01:15:57,840
 This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.

1333
01:15:58,200 --> 01:16:02,220
 Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

1334
01:16:02,540 --> 01:16:07,280
 You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000

1335
01:16:07,280 --> 01:16:11,600
 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.

1336
01:16:12,080 --> 01:16:16,640
 Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

1337
01:16:16,740 --> 01:16:20,000
 We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.

1338
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 And roar lines.

1339
01:16:21,860 --> 01:16:23,480
 Join us at Singing River Brewery.

1340
01:16:24,380 --> 01:16:26,420
 Your local hub for great beer and community fun.

1341
01:16:27,720 --> 01:16:30,360
 Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

1342
01:16:33,300 --> 01:16:35,040
 Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar.

1343
01:16:35,480 --> 01:16:37,400
 And 50% goes to UNA Athletics.

1344
01:16:38,460 --> 01:16:41,920
 Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

1345
01:16:45,120 --> 01:16:46,520
 Don't miss out on the good times.

1346
01:16:46,840 --> 01:16:50,180
 Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

1347
01:16:50,400 --> 01:16:52,760
 Prohibition is over.

1348
01:16:52,920 --> 01:16:58,040
 And the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.

1349
01:16:58,100 --> 01:17:02,540
 Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.

1350
01:17:02,680 --> 01:17:06,040
 Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.

1351
01:17:06,160 --> 01:17:11,040
 Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party and Concert,

1352
01:17:11,200 --> 01:17:13,660
 featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.

1353
01:17:13,780 --> 01:17:18,160
 Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.

1354
01:17:18,280 --> 01:17:25,500
 Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.

1355
01:17:32,760 --> 01:17:36,920
 Man, wrapping up things down here at Lost Pizza Shoals, Benjamin Ray, Mikey Ziegle.

1356
01:17:37,020 --> 01:17:39,680
 This is UNA Basketball, title 93.9 The Score.

1357
01:17:39,780 --> 01:17:43,480
 Coming up next, they'll join the national championship game at the half.

1358
01:17:43,560 --> 01:17:45,760
 Indiana leads Miami 10 to nothing.

1359
01:17:45,860 --> 01:17:47,400
 But we're talking some UNA basketball.

1360
01:17:47,560 --> 01:17:49,260
 Dallas Howell joins us next.

1361
01:17:49,740 --> 01:17:57,320
 Six-year, super senior, the only college basketball player to be at one program for six years actively this year.

1362
01:17:57,420 --> 01:18:00,380
 I mean, Dallas, you hear that right there, and how does that make you feel?

1363
01:18:01,280 --> 01:18:06,220
 I think it just speaks to this place as a whole and this coaching staff, you know, just sticking with me through all this.

1364
01:18:06,400 --> 01:18:10,320
 And, you know, I've been through some injuries and some setbacks, and they've never wavered one bit.

1365
01:18:10,500 --> 01:18:13,180
 Just stayed confident in me, and I stayed confident in them.

1366
01:18:14,020 --> 01:18:16,980
 And speaking of confidence, I mean, obviously, it was a tough weekend.

1367
01:18:17,920 --> 01:18:19,760
 Nobody really wanted to go through that.

1368
01:18:19,760 --> 01:18:25,100
 But we were just talking to Coach P about this, and you had some conversations about this in postgame.

1369
01:18:25,260 --> 01:18:29,980
 But we've had some storms like this before where we started one and five or something.

1370
01:18:30,160 --> 01:18:34,080
 And then there was a turning point right around this time where everybody just kind of came together.

1371
01:18:34,500 --> 01:18:35,340
 Things got better.

1372
01:18:35,600 --> 01:18:40,160
 I mean, two years ago, I mean, that was your junior year, fourth year, something like that.

1373
01:18:40,260 --> 01:18:42,460
 And I think it was a five-game streak after that.

1374
01:18:42,740 --> 01:18:46,900
 So just talk about what the message was at that point, knowing that, hey, we've been through this before.

1375
01:18:46,900 --> 01:18:50,120
 Now that you have another go at this, what's kind of your message?

1376
01:18:50,640 --> 01:18:50,880
 For sure.

1377
01:18:50,960 --> 01:18:56,240
 And it's just understanding that where we are today is from those teams before that have dealt with this.

1378
01:18:56,320 --> 01:19:00,860
 And, you know, even before that year we turned it around, my sophomore year, we started one and five,

1379
01:19:00,920 --> 01:19:02,980
 and we didn't turn it around until later in the season.

1380
01:19:03,060 --> 01:19:03,620
 It was too late.

1381
01:19:03,700 --> 01:19:06,920
 So it's just understanding that we have to learn from those teams.

1382
01:19:07,060 --> 01:19:10,400
 And this year it's really important for us to make this turning point now, you know,

1383
01:19:10,400 --> 01:19:12,860
 start our momentum as early as we can to carry it into the tournament.

1384
01:19:12,860 --> 01:19:16,680
 All right, let's go away from basketball just a second.

1385
01:19:16,860 --> 01:19:18,780
 And you had a brief football career?

1386
01:19:19,360 --> 01:19:20,340
 Yes, very brief.

1387
01:19:20,500 --> 01:19:21,460
 Tell us about it.

1388
01:19:23,180 --> 01:19:25,360
 Only played up until my freshman year of high school.

1389
01:19:25,980 --> 01:19:28,940
 Didn't receiver and safety, punted a little bit.

1390
01:19:29,460 --> 01:19:32,900
 Got lit up on a punt one time, and I don't think I touched the field again after that one.

1391
01:19:33,600 --> 01:19:35,520
 That's when you knew basketball was your path.

1392
01:19:35,620 --> 01:19:36,200
 Oh, for sure.

1393
01:19:37,080 --> 01:19:38,880
 You got a rooting interest in this game tonight?

1394
01:19:39,880 --> 01:19:40,560
 Sadly, I do.

1395
01:19:40,640 --> 01:19:43,000
 I've got to go against my coach here, the Miami fan.

1396
01:19:43,060 --> 01:19:47,280
 I've got to root for Indiana tonight because a girlfriend and her family are Indiana fans.

1397
01:19:47,660 --> 01:19:48,380
 There you go.

1398
01:19:49,520 --> 01:19:57,160
 How much time do you guys as players spend invested in other things like that, football, you know, this game?

1399
01:19:57,740 --> 01:20:02,760
 I think it's just like being invested in stuff like this is just because we love competition so much.

1400
01:20:02,760 --> 01:20:06,320
 And, you know, when you're at this level of sports, in any sport, you just love competition.

1401
01:20:06,480 --> 01:20:07,380
 You love competitive people.

1402
01:20:07,480 --> 01:20:12,620
 And seeing teams like Indiana and Miami this year that are so competitive and so – it's just so fun to watch teams like that.

1403
01:20:13,040 --> 01:20:13,580
 You know, it's funny.

1404
01:20:13,640 --> 01:20:14,680
 It brings up another point.

1405
01:20:14,860 --> 01:20:16,200
 I go back a couple years ago.

1406
01:20:16,280 --> 01:20:18,900
 Damian Forrest was always the big video game guy, it felt like.

1407
01:20:18,940 --> 01:20:22,360
 Always had the switch, playing Mario something and other.

1408
01:20:22,760 --> 01:20:25,220
 But what's kind of the thing now with this team?

1409
01:20:25,300 --> 01:20:27,040
 What's the thing that kind of brings you guys together?

1410
01:20:27,820 --> 01:20:30,180
 I think just talking together, really.

1411
01:20:30,180 --> 01:20:37,120
 There's no specific game that this team really, you know, connects on, but it's just more just talking to each other about what's going on.

1412
01:20:37,220 --> 01:20:41,240
 There's a lot of trash talk going on, and that's just the personality of this team has been trash talk.

1413
01:20:41,320 --> 01:20:45,320
 So it's just keeping that in the right direction, and it helps on the court when guys get in the right mindset.

1414
01:20:45,760 --> 01:20:48,120
 You've played with some elite trash talkers.

1415
01:20:48,520 --> 01:20:48,840
 K.J.

1416
01:20:48,920 --> 01:20:50,680
 Johnson's the first one that comes to mind.

1417
01:20:50,740 --> 01:20:52,880
 Who's the elite trash talker on this team?

1418
01:20:55,560 --> 01:21:01,420
 I'd have to say Neil, mostly because that's what kind of gets him going himself, is he tries and uses that to help him.

1419
01:21:01,740 --> 01:21:04,760
 But there's another one that kind of slips under the radar, I think it's Kevin.

1420
01:21:05,160 --> 01:21:13,060
 Kevin is just – and it's funny because, you know, with English as a second language, it's not always the most effective trash talk,

1421
01:21:13,060 --> 01:21:15,700
 but he's just got so much passion in him that it's hilarious every time.

1422
01:21:15,860 --> 01:21:18,920
 Well, does he ever switch maybe like to some French trash talking?

1423
01:21:19,000 --> 01:21:19,980
 I've encouraged him to.

1424
01:21:20,060 --> 01:21:22,080
 I haven't heard it yet, but I've encouraged him to try that.

1425
01:21:22,160 --> 01:21:27,020
 I remember my freshman year, we had my teammate Lex from Serbia.

1426
01:21:27,140 --> 01:21:32,140
 He would always, in the games, he was always talking Serbian, and I never knew what was going on, but it sounded good.

1427
01:21:33,600 --> 01:21:39,680
 Speaking of, Kev, I mean, he averaged 18 points per game in the two games, and how key is it getting that young guard going?

1428
01:21:40,180 --> 01:21:41,060
 It's so good to see.

1429
01:21:41,060 --> 01:21:45,500
 You know, he had a rough stretch just a couple of games where he didn't score as much as he wanted to,

1430
01:21:45,600 --> 01:21:49,700
 and he kind of got down on himself a little bit, and as a team and as a coaching staff,

1431
01:21:49,780 --> 01:21:53,500
 really focused on him being positive and just, you know, playing for the rest of the team.

1432
01:21:53,600 --> 01:21:56,920
 That's been our message, and he took that to heart, and it's worked out for him the past couple games,

1433
01:21:57,000 --> 01:21:57,980
 so I hope he can keep it going.

1434
01:21:58,440 --> 01:22:06,480
 Yeah, and you've been a part of a lot of teams with young players, and you've got a couple of young freshmen that have had some big games coming on along the way.

1435
01:22:06,700 --> 01:22:11,360
 Cortez, Graham Howard, go back to last week, he had a lot of career highs in that game, and then Braylon Patton,

1436
01:22:11,460 --> 01:22:15,540
 coach kind of singled him out, and how he kind of accepted that rebound challenge to help out.

1437
01:22:15,620 --> 01:22:20,020
 You know, how have those two freshmen really come along, and what can you do to kind of help them as a six-year senior?

1438
01:22:20,380 --> 01:22:25,240
 It's so cool to see freshmen like that stepping into roles, and, you know, we could tell when they both got here

1439
01:22:25,240 --> 01:22:29,760
 that they were ready to take on something like that, and then, you know, I just, I think my role with them

1440
01:22:29,760 --> 01:22:33,120
 is just helping them through mistakes, understanding that it's not the end of the world when you make a mistake.

1441
01:22:33,240 --> 01:22:37,200
 You just got to be going as hard as you can and trying to fix it every play after that,

1442
01:22:37,320 --> 01:22:40,240
 so that's what I've been in their ear about is just playing with confidence and playing hard.

1443
01:22:40,540 --> 01:22:45,360
 We actually had both of them on last week, and Cortez, Graham Howard singled you out as a player

1444
01:22:45,360 --> 01:22:49,920
 who's done a lot of coaching him up on the side, kind of mentoring him in the locker room,

1445
01:22:49,940 --> 01:22:53,120
 and what's kind of been your message to both of those two young men?

1446
01:22:54,120 --> 01:23:00,640
 Just understanding the roles that they've come into here with, you know, it's a team with a bunch of returners.

1447
01:23:00,640 --> 01:23:04,520
 We had 10 returners, and, you know, when you come into a team like that, you're not sure what your role is going to be,

1448
01:23:04,620 --> 01:23:05,980
 but you just have to be ready every moment.

1449
01:23:06,640 --> 01:23:08,980
 They both had stretches this year where they didn't play in a couple games,

1450
01:23:09,040 --> 01:23:12,540
 and they both kept the right mindset and stayed through it, and then when they come back,

1451
01:23:12,600 --> 01:23:14,880
 they had great games coming back because they had the right mindset the whole time.

1452
01:23:15,580 --> 01:23:17,500
 Dallas, we've got a lot of basketball left to go.

1453
01:23:17,740 --> 01:23:18,800
 You're in your last year.

1454
01:23:19,260 --> 01:23:20,840
 You've been in this program a long time.

1455
01:23:20,920 --> 01:23:22,740
 You've probably learned a lot of lessons.

1456
01:23:23,060 --> 01:23:26,180
 What's going to be the number one thing do you think that you take away from this program

1457
01:23:26,180 --> 01:23:29,220
 when you finish your basketball career and go out into the real world?

1458
01:23:29,760 --> 01:23:35,120
 I think just the aspect of how important being connected with those around you is.

1459
01:23:35,320 --> 01:23:39,820
 You know, with this team, every year the most important thing to us has to be, you know,

1460
01:23:39,880 --> 01:23:41,260
 playing connected and showing that.

1461
01:23:42,020 --> 01:23:44,920
 And, you know, we falter sometimes, but it's about coming back to that

1462
01:23:44,920 --> 01:23:49,760
 and understanding, you know, where we've come from, you know, the teams before that have shown us the way

1463
01:23:49,760 --> 01:23:51,720
 and understanding what we have to do with that.

1464
01:23:51,720 --> 01:23:57,820
 This is a team that had Mississippi State on the ropes, right, at one point in the first game of the year,

1465
01:23:58,080 --> 01:24:02,920
 played Clemson close in the second half, knocked off Jacksonville State, San Francisco, the big rally.

1466
01:24:03,020 --> 01:24:04,900
 I mean, how do you guys get back to that?

1467
01:24:06,280 --> 01:24:10,440
 I think it's like I said, we don't feel it's basketball related with us right now.

1468
01:24:10,680 --> 01:24:15,320
 We have to understand that in those games we had a fight in us that we haven't shown recently,

1469
01:24:15,460 --> 01:24:19,700
 and it's important for us to get back to that and understand that that's how we have to win games.

1470
01:24:19,820 --> 01:24:23,100
 It's not going to be from a scheming aspect or a scouting report aspect,

1471
01:24:23,280 --> 01:24:25,080
 because our coaches do so well with that every game.

1472
01:24:25,560 --> 01:24:30,060
 It's about how we play, how we approach the game, and who we're playing the game for.

1473
01:24:30,140 --> 01:24:31,000
 That's been the focus recently.

1474
01:24:31,100 --> 01:24:32,940
 It's been playing the game for each other, not for yourself.

1475
01:24:33,020 --> 01:24:38,880
 Yeah, and having that community within each other, but I want to talk about this community that's here today.

1476
01:24:39,320 --> 01:24:42,420
 I mean, just how incredible is it that even though it was a tough weekend,

1477
01:24:42,780 --> 01:24:46,220
 the same regulars are still here at Lost Pizza tonight to support you.

1478
01:24:46,540 --> 01:24:47,600
 You know they're going to be back.

1479
01:24:47,740 --> 01:24:52,420
 We're leading the ASUN in attendance going back to last season as well and this season.

1480
01:24:52,520 --> 01:24:55,280
 Just having that community support, knowing that you have that,

1481
01:24:55,480 --> 01:24:58,460
 and what does that mean to you knowing that, hey, we got a chance to make them proud?

1482
01:24:58,760 --> 01:25:01,940
 It means so much, and it's something that we're really taking to heart recently.

1483
01:25:01,940 --> 01:25:07,260
 We feel like we haven't been performing to the level that they deserve for all the support they've given us,

1484
01:25:07,380 --> 01:25:09,940
 and that's something that we're focused on, and we appreciate it so much.

1485
01:25:10,580 --> 01:25:16,060
 And it means so much to even in those tough losses, going around after and speaking to them, it's all positive.

1486
01:25:16,380 --> 01:25:20,360
 They're always encouraging us, saying we're going to get them next time, and we're going to do that for them.

1487
01:25:20,400 --> 01:25:23,060
 We're going to turn it around, and we're going to give them games that they're going to enjoy to watch.

1488
01:25:23,280 --> 01:25:28,780
 It starts this week, Queens on Wednesday, then back home, Central Arkansas on Saturday,

1489
01:25:28,960 --> 01:25:30,600
 and Dallas, big road trip coming up.

1490
01:25:30,660 --> 01:25:33,360
 And how eager is this team to get back out there and go at it?

1491
01:25:33,740 --> 01:25:34,260
 So eager.

1492
01:25:34,420 --> 01:25:38,560
 I mean, the energy in practice today was unbelievable, just knowing that we have to right this ship

1493
01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:40,020
 and we have to bring a new kind of energy.

1494
01:25:40,280 --> 01:25:41,320
 And, I mean, everybody did it.

1495
01:25:41,320 --> 01:25:46,960
 The coaches, the managers, all the players, it's time to buy in and come with a new energy,

1496
01:25:47,140 --> 01:25:49,120
 and what better way to start it than knocking off the top team.

1497
01:25:49,420 --> 01:25:49,920
 That's right.

1498
01:25:49,980 --> 01:25:50,680
 That'll be Wednesday.

1499
01:25:50,820 --> 01:25:55,140
 We'll be out there, 6 o'clock tip local time, then Saturday inside the bank, 6 o'clock as well.

1500
01:25:55,200 --> 01:25:57,000
 Dallas, we appreciate you as always, man.

1501
01:25:57,040 --> 01:25:58,760
 We look forward to watching you let it fly this week.

1502
01:25:58,900 --> 01:25:59,280
 Yes, sir.

1503
01:25:59,320 --> 01:25:59,740
 Thank you all.

1504
01:25:59,900 --> 01:26:03,500
 That'll do it for this week's edition of UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals.

1505
01:26:03,560 --> 01:26:05,400
 We'll be back with you next Monday night as well.

1506
01:26:05,480 --> 01:26:06,540
 Thanks to everybody that came out.

1507
01:26:06,600 --> 01:26:07,580
 Thank you for tuning in.

1508
01:26:07,680 --> 01:26:12,680
 Thanks to Brayden, Eli, Grant, and Ty in-house Blair behind the station, at the station.

1509
01:26:12,840 --> 01:26:16,180
 For Mike and all of our guests tonight, I'm Benjamin Ryan, San Aurora Lions.

1510
01:26:16,220 --> 01:26:17,040
 We'll see you next week.

1511
01:26:20,720 --> 01:26:26,020
 You've been listening to UNA Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company, featuring Coach Candy Whitaker

1512
01:26:26,020 --> 01:26:27,320
 and Coach Tony Pujol.

1513
01:26:27,320 --> 01:26:35,140
 UNA Basketball Night has been brought to you by Lost Pizza, Bank Independent, Burnley Spine and Sport,

1514
01:26:35,940 --> 01:26:43,300
 Renaissance Eye Care, The Carriage Wine and Market, Alabama Health Guidance, and Singing River Brewery.

1515
01:26:43,720 --> 01:26:46,220
 Thanks for listening, and Roar Lions!