UNA Basketball Night @ Lost Pizza w/ Benjamin Ray 02/16/26
93.9 The Score WYTK - February 16, 2026
https://www.939thescore.com/una-basketball-night-lost-pizza-w-benjamin-ray-02-16-26/

This transcript was generated automatically from the broadcast audio. Names and some words may be misspelt; the audio is the official record.

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It's time for UNA Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company, featuring Coach Candy Whitaker and Coach Tony Pujol.
UNA Basketball Night is brought to you by Lost Pizza, Bank Independent, Burnley Spine and Sport, Renaissance Eye Care, The Carriage Wine and Market, Alabama Health Guidance, and Singing River Brewery.
Now live from Lost Pizza Company in historic downtown Florence, here's the voice of the UNA Lions, Benjamin Ray.
It's another Monday night down here at Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence.
This is UNA Basketball Night. I'm Benjamin Ray alongside Mike Ezekiel.
Mike, we're coming off of one of the most memorable weekends in some time at UNA.
We've had a lot of great moments the last couple of years.
Chalk this one up as another one. Friday, we open up the new baseball stadium, Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
Saturday was the ribbon-cutting. Baseball got the series winning. It's SIUE in the process.
Sunday, we're on the mothership. ESPNU, first time having a nationally broadcast game inside of Flowers Hall.
Win in overtime, dramatic fashion. What a weekend. There's a lot of excitement.
You know, you covered it all, Ben. All the great things that happened. The opening of a new stadium is always so special.
Being able to host a game in your gym for the first time in history for basketball and ESPNU to get the viewership
and to pack the gym the way we did in these awesome t-shirts we got from CB&S Bank. It was so great.
One thing that we haven't mentioned yet that was so great about it was the community turnout.
Just like this show and the amount of people that come out every night, everybody packed the stadium, everybody packed the gym.
And if you combine all three baseball games and you take that with the basketball game on Sunday, that's over 5,000 people that attended UNA Athletic Events this weekend.
And that is just incredible to me that you could have four events, bring that many people, bring the community together.
Everybody's cheering on and some wins came with that as well. It was a special weekend.
It doesn't fit the narrative if you think UNA isn't in a good place right now because things are booming.
You've got construction happening, baseball stadium opening up.
Let's see here. I'm looking at the attendance numbers you just referenced.
28-15 was the attendance number Sunday at basketball.
2,815. Don't forget we lead the league in attendance right now.
Baseball had 1,350 at one game, 1,000 at another, 750 at game two, I think, of the doubleheader on Friday.
But everywhere I have gone since Sunday, which isn't very many places because we've been living at work right now,
but everybody wants to talk about something that happened this weekend.
That's right.
Whether it was baseball, whether I got a lot of questions about softball, you know, I happen to be the softball contact too.
Hey, how's softball doing while we're at baseball?
You know, tennis played a lot this weekend and their coaches are in the house today too.
They're getting ready to play at home for a while here in the late February.
So excited for that.
Beach volleyball is about to start their season as well.
So beyond the sports that we're talking about right now, there's a lot of excitement going on for the spring sports that are about to start their seasons in Florence.
And I think everybody across the board is getting this type of support, and that's why this community here at the University of North Alabama and in the Shoals is so special.
The UNA women right now sit in sixth place as we head down the home stretch.
But listen to this, they are just one game out of third place in the conference standings.
Top four get a bye in the A-Sun tournament, so they've got a lot to play for.
They wrap up a five-game road trip on Wednesday against Bellarmine, then their final three games will be at home.
The men coming off of the exciting overtime win against Eastern Kentucky, right now still in 12th place.
But just like it's been all year long, one game out of 11th place trailing North Florida, just two games out of eighth place.
They will flip-flop home road games for the remainder of the season.
But, Mike, both teams have a lot to play for as we head down the stretch into the tournament.
That's right.
And there is a lot of parity in the A-Sun conference, and that's why it's so great that all 12 teams on both sides are going to get to go to this tournament,
play the first round, and then the winner gets to go to Viastar.
I think that's a great incentive for both teams.
But starting with the women, like you said, one game out of third place right now, they're playing some really good basketball.
And, of course, that EKU team, I don't believe they've been beat at home yet.
So that's a really good basketball program that UNA played.
But they're playing some great basketball right now with the great pink uniforms.
I can't wait to talk about those.
But excited to see those final three games at home.
That is going to be so key for this program after playing five on the road.
I can't wait to maybe get an update from Coach Whitaker on how these travels have went.
And on the men's side, it felt like a brand-new season after yesterday.
I mean, just such a win in the support and the excitement that came with it.
It feels like a different vibe right now with this team.
And anything could happen.
Guaranteed to go to March Madness or in the postseason tournament, anything could happen.
So this is a brand-new point of the season now.
Well, let's get into it.
We've got a lot to break down with both basketball programs.
Ali Alvarado, Sophia Cipollati are here in a little bit.
Dallas Howell is going to stop by.
Cortez Graham Howard, as well as Kevin Nikovicic, the heroes from Sunday's game.
And then we'll wrap up with both head coaches joining us at the top of the hour.
Let's get this show on the road.
This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full-court press.
The full-court press Cuban sandwich inspired by Coach Tony Pujol.
This sandwich brings championship flavor.
And it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand-new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight-up MVP material.
Run the full-court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft-wave therapy,
effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,
helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry needling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
I've been walking toward this my whole life.
You didn't always know where I was going and neither did I,
but you always encouraged me to chase my dreams.
Bank Independent is helping me take the next step.
By opening an account, I unlocked a scholarship to UNA.
Now, I'm ready for what's next, knowing I've always had support every step of the way.
Bank Independent, we're invested in your future.
For more information, visit bibank.com slash scholarship member FDIC.
Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.
And roar lines.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss all of the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Got wine?
Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine
and an unmatched selection of nearly 1,000 different wines to suit any budget,
the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination
in the heart of downtown Florence.
In the mood to relax and wind down?
Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers,
all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie
and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere.
Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey
at the Carriage Wine & Market, located at 121 East Mobile Street
on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater.
Cheers!
Our first guest this evening here at UNA Basketball Night
from Lost Pizza Shoals.
It's Benjamin and Mikey Ezekiel joined now by Allie Alvarado,
a senior transfer from Richmond, California.
Came to North Alabama from San Francisco State.
She has been tearing up the Atlantic Sun of late.
She's currently the fourth-best scorer in Atlantic Sun play
at 15.2 points per game.
She's been the showstopper for North Alabama.
Allie, round of applause.
Does it feel good to finally be home?
You guys are trying to wrap up this five-game road trip.
It feels so great.
I'm so ready to be done with this last travel,
and then we get to stay home,
and we get all the support from our community.
All right, you're from the West Coast,
so you're used to kind of long travel, right?
But in the last couple of weeks,
you guys started at Queens in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You fly from Queens to Little Rock, Arkansas,
bus to Conway, Arkansas, where you play Central Arkansas,
drive back to Little Rock.
It's about an hour drive, roughly.
Then you fly Little Rock to Atlanta, bus to Carrollton,
30, 45 minutes, probably an hour to bus, maybe.
And then after West Georgia, you guys bus home.
How exhausting was that?
Honestly, really tiring.
It's not too bad when you're just laying down the whole time,
but that can be just exhausting not being able to move so much
because we're all athletes, so we have a lot of energy we need to get out.
All right, I guess this is more of a mindset question.
So I guess when you have those three games like Ben talked about,
you're going from airport to airport, you kind of know what to expect, right?
And then you finally get to come home for a day and practice
and rest in your own bed for a little bit.
And then you have to go all the way back up to Richmond.
Is it harder doing that after going through that grind, just knowing,
okay, it's one bus trip, but still, I went through all this already?
Not too much.
I think that it's just more about, I like that we got to come back home
just because it let me lay in my bed, just like chill for a little bit
and just like feel at peace for a little bit
before we have to go all the way back and travel again
for almost a seven-hour bus ride.
Yeah.
Take us on the road with you guys.
Who's the life of the party?
What are you guys doing to kill time?
I would definitely say India and Sophia are the life of the party.
They just always have so much energy and jokes,
so they're very funny most of the time or all of the time.
Like you're always getting something out of somebody
from anyone on our team, honestly, though.
Most of the time we're not too, like, busy, like, to, like, do things.
We're super busy, honestly, so it's just like when we do have time to rest
or, like, chill, we're just in our beds.
That's right.
Not a lot of time to go out and venture out.
Even after you're at the beach, for example,
it's hard to, you know, find that little bit of time in between
preparing for the game you're there for and getting back.
One thing I want to talk about is these new pink uniforms we have.
We haven't gotten a chance to talk about it yet.
I take it, I hear the rumors that I think you like the pink.
Yeah, I love the pink.
Everyone knows on my team that every time I wear the pink,
where the pink comes out, I'm like, yes, yes, yes.
All right, let's talk about your play.
The scoring continues to climb.
Obviously, we know about the 37-point outburst against Jacksonville,
but you haven't let down and now teams are really locking in
and paying attention to you.
But what do you feel like has been working so well for you lately offensively?
I think just not thinking.
Honestly, that's the biggest thing is just being able to hoop
and just having the confidence that my teammates and my coaches have in me
and just telling me to keep playing.
I think the last game, I was a little timid on certain scoring times
that I needed to be more scoring ability
and be big time on the floor sometimes for my team to help them out.
But I think it's just a learning opportunity for me to find ways
to still be a scorer when they're scouting me really well now.
And then I need to mention, too, you lead the league in assists per game as well
in Atlantic Sunplay, 4.2 assists per game.
So you're scoring, you're out there dishing out to your teammates.
Offensively, again, sharing is caring.
Tell me about the assist and where that mindset comes from.
I think that when I know that the team is playing me how they are,
that gives opportunities for my teammates to be open and get them the ball.
Yeah, so let's go back to the West Georgia game.
And again, some of these games might be a blur at this point
because we played, what, four games over an eight- or nine-day period.
But that West Georgia game, it was more Katie Criswell doing a lot of the scoring
and Sophia did some scoring.
But for you, you kind of took a step back on the scoring side
but had eight assists.
I mean, just moving the ball, facilitating.
Kind of what goes into that where you just rack up the assists?
Is it just kind of how the defense game plans for you
or is it more just a game flow type thing?
I think it's more of a game flow.
I mean, it is the way that the other team is guarding me and things like that.
But at the end of the day, it's about the game and how it's flowing
and seeing that my teammates were open and they were sagging down on them
and they're h*** of a players too.
This team right now has a lot to play for over these last couple of ballgames, right?
Very close to being in the top four of the Atlantic Sun.
Exciting stretch coming back.
And when you think about that, you transferred from Division II to Division I.
This is kind of what you came here for, right?
I mean, how excited are you for this home stretch leading into March?
I'm really excited.
I mean, we're up there and we're fighting to become one of the top four
in the conference to be able to get that bye week.
So, I mean, I'm excited.
This is what I wanted.
I wanted to be able to come to a winning team
and I wanted to come up and play at a different level and still make an impact.
And I certainly got to help that.
On Wednesday, you go to Bellarmine.
That's the final regular season road trip.
You get three straight at home after that.
And then your next trip after that is Jacksonville.
So, how does it feel to know that, hey, we're finally at the last regular season home game.
This five-game stretch is finally about to be over.
I think it's really exciting, honestly, just knowing that we're almost done
and we're going to be playing in the tournament still, going to the tournament now
because I've never got to do that before, going to a tournament and being able to play and compete.
And just knowing that the season's almost over to that point
to where my family's coming down for senior night.
So, I'm excited for that to see all of them.
I haven't seen them in a really long time.
All right, so did they come on a recruiting visit with you or anything like that?
My mom did.
All right, so what are you going to do when they get here?
Where do you have to take them?
What do you have to show them?
It depends if I have time, honestly, though, too.
But I think mainly it's just going to be taking them to go get food and things like that.
I love food, so going to different places, probably taking them to Las Pizzas.
Let's go.
All right, so the scoring, the assist, but you've kind of been deemed the Batman right now, right?
And there's been a different Robin every game.
It feels like Katie Criswell the other night.
India Howard's had a moment.
Sophia's been right there with you as well.
What about the depth of this team?
Gabby Jackson, we've talked about her a lot.
It feels like any given night, anybody can step in.
Yeah, and I think that's the greatest thing about our team
and what surprises so many teams that are playing us.
They don't know who to stop at times.
We can all be efficient, and we can all score the ball at a high level.
And final thing for me, Allie, intro your teammate that's here tonight a little bit.
Tell us about her and what we should talk to her about.
Sophia, yeah.
So Sophia is a bright light.
She's hilarious.
She's going to be the one that's everywhere, that's trying to get the ball post up,
these little guards all the time, and she can shoot the heck out of the ball too.
What have you learned about Italy from her?
Who's better than Italy?
A lot of pride, huh?
Yes.
All right, what's it going to take for this team to close this season out strong?
That's my first parting shot.
I've got one more for you.
Okay, yeah.
I think what's going to take us home is just having the energy that we're having
and then just to keep it going, be strong, be confident in each other,
have the ability to be able to talk to each other through challenges
and things like that that are going on on the floor.
Final three games at the bank.
How excited are you to get to wrap up and eager to play in front of the hometown fans
for the first time in a while?
I'm really excited.
I love playing in front of our fans.
That's the best thing about it.
We have so much home court advantage when we have that,
and it gives us energy to play harder for everyone that's watching us.
Allie, we're super excited to watch this home stretch.
We'll be down in Florida with you guys as well as we make a run to the NCAA tournament.
Best of luck.
Let's get you some all-conference honors.
How's that sound?
Yes, thank you.
That's Allie Alvarado.
When we come back, the super sophomore sensation Sophia Cipollati joins us.
This is UNA Basketball Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
All's Pizza Company Shoals is running the full court press.
The full court press Cuban sandwich, inspired by Coach Tony Pujol.
This sandwich brings championship flavor,
and it's only available at All's Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight up MVP material.
Run the full court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy,
effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,
helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry needleing can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal?
Yeah, this isn't that.
I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot.
I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking,
and have a positive balance.
That's it.
A 20% scholarship to UNA.
When bank independent invests in students like me,
they're investing in all of us and the future of our community.
Bank independent.
We're invested in your future.
Member FDIC.
Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner,
Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall and roar lines.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss out on the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Prohibition is over, and the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.
Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.
Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.
Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party in Concert,
featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.
Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.
Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.
Up next is the super sophomore sensation, Sophia Cipollati, North Alabama's second leading scorer, one of the top rebounders.
She's coming off of a 14-point performance against Eastern Kentucky.
From Italy, she wanted to remind everybody that Italy is second in the medal account right now in the Winter Olympics.
Yes.
And you're pretty proud of that.
I'm proud of you.
Sophia, tell us about this road trip you guys have been on.
How have you guys stayed locked in, four straight on the road, with one more to come on Wednesday?
It's been hard.
We knew that it wouldn't have been tough, because having to reschedule a game in the middle of the conference, it wouldn't have been hard.
But I've got to be honest, it was tough.
Especially having one day prep for each game, and playing big teams just like EKU or West Georgia, Central Arc, it was pretty tough.
But we made it through, now we have the last away game of the conference, so we're going to be ready for that.
Yeah, and I won't go back through it the way Ben did, but three different airports in five days, playing all those games, like you said, with only one day of prep.
And then you finally get to sleep in your own bed, coming back from West Georgia, and then you have to bus again to EKU.
But finally knowing, hey, one more road trip in the regular season, then we're at home, and then the next trip is Jacksonville.
How does it feel to know you're finally on that last one, and how are you preparing for that?
I've got to be honest, it feels amazing.
I love finishing strong at home with our people, and we're going to be ready for Bellarmine knowing that it's our last away game.
And I think we're so excited for the tournament, so we're going to try to bring home these four games that we have left,
and try to qualify in the four seats of the conference.
All right, Allie Alvarado set up this next question.
I don't know if you could hear it over there, but she said that you're one of the life parties of the team on the bus, behind the scenes.
Tell me about that.
Yeah, I think I'm just very loud, and I feel like, you know, last year I was probably one of the most quietest players on the team,
but now that I've been here for a while that I got more confident and comfortable with the language.
I'm just being the same person that I am whenever I'm in Italy and I'm speaking Italian, I'm just translating that in English and in America too.
So is that kind of your Italian coming out of you, being the life of the party?
I think so.
But I think it's also like my personality.
So when you're at home, are you the life of the party with the family as well?
They just, after a while, they're just like, yeah, just stop it.
I'm like, okay.
Right before we went live, this was a really good moment.
Normally we're telling people, hey, push the mic closer to you just so you can hear better.
People come in a little timid.
Not Sophia.
This is a rarity.
We had to actually pull it back, and that's a compliment to you.
So congrats on that.
Thank you.
Now, ask Allie this question.
It's a lot of fun, and I already knew the answer, but I don't know the answer for you yet.
The pink uniforms.
You digging them?
I love them.
Right now, I don't think they look too good because, you know, it's winter.
We're all a little bit pale.
It wouldn't be better if you were tinned and everything, but it's so exciting.
I love them.
I just feel like, you know, playing with a different color and knowing the importance
and the meaning of wearing that color is just, it makes me very proud and grateful.
Now, the pink is great, and the cause behind it, as you said, is a big deal.
If you had to rank the uniforms that you wear, how would you rank them?
I got black at first.
Okay.
And Allie probably has black last, I would imagine, because her jersey's too big, she said, right?
Yeah.
But I love playing black.
I think they just make us, like, tougher.
And then I think I probably have white just because we're wearing it at home, and I love playing at home.
And then pink and then purple.
There you go.
I like it.
All right.
Being from Italy, right, you come over to America to play basketball, but you're also really getting to see America.
I was just thinking about this as you're traveling.
You've been to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Conway, Arkansas.
You probably never thought you'd end up in Conway, Arkansas.
No, we love going to Conway.
Carrollton, Georgia.
Richmond, Kentucky.
Looking back through the non-conference slate, I know you enjoyed Jacksonville, Florida, because you have your family.
Got to go to Missouri.
I mean, what's it been like for you getting to be a tourist and a student athlete right now?
It feels amazing.
I love traveling.
Of course, like, it's different when you have to play, because on one side, you're like, oh, my God, yeah, I get to see, like, all America, places I've never been to.
But on the other side, it's tiring, because you've got to be either on a bus or, like, on a plane, and then you've got to play a game probably the day after.
But, I don't know, I love, I've always loved going around, even when I was in Italy and we got to play all over the country.
I loved it.
And, as you said, I love Florida.
I got to see my family, and I just love the vibes, you know, being at the beach.
That's something that I really like.
So, I enjoyed it a lot.
All right, we know Florence is number one, obviously.
It's your home away from home.
You just talked about Florida, but where else have you enjoyed getting to see in America?
Um, let me think about it.
I'm talking about maybe, like, the arenas we saw.
Last year, for sure, Nebraska and Kansas were, like, big arenas.
I was like, oh, my God, like, wow.
And, Missouri, too.
Even though I haven't played, I was very impressed by that.
And then, I didn't go to Oklahoma, but I bet that it was very fun playing there.
And, I don't know.
And then, Florida, as you said.
I just love it.
You always go back to Florida.
Okay, and then, away from the arenas, what about scenery?
Where have you been in America, outside of Florence, which is number one, where you've just been like, oh, wow, it's really pretty here.
And Florida, because we know you're going to die right there.
We'll put you on the spot.
Um, I got to be honest, like, in Arkansas, we haven't seen much.
You're seeing too much interstate, is what you're saying.
Interstate and airports, probably, as well.
But, I mean, Charlotte was pretty.
Yes.
Yeah, our hotel was right in the middle of the city.
Very green over there.
Yeah.
So, I was like, I like this.
And then, um, let me think about it.
We're putting you on the spot here.
Yeah, you are, because I feel like a lot of places just look kind of the same, no?
Well, let me bring it back, because I think Ben already answered this for you, but I'm going to give you a chance to expand on that answer.
Florence, CB&S Bank Arena, obviously the best one that you play in.
Yeah.
Talk about, it's been, what, four games on the road.
The last time we were at home, beat Austin Peay 55-50.
Feels like an eternity ago, since y'all played so much.
But now, finally being back, what's it like playing at home, having that energy?
And does that energy push you in a game like that, where it's so competitive?
Yeah, for sure, because, uh, I mean, we're going to play Central Arkansas and, uh, West Georgia, which are going to be two tough games that we're going to win.
Um, so I feel like playing those two last games at home just gives us more energy, more energy to bring it home, to make the top four teams in the conference.
And I just love playing in front of my people.
I feel like it gives us a different type of energy.
We can't wait to see you guys back at the bank.
And Allie got to set you up, so Allie's already been here.
But tell us about Allie Alvarado and what she's meant to this team this year.
Um, I love Allie, I love being her teammate, and I love playing with her.
I think, um, if, when I'm on the court, I'm more like a, kind of like a quiet player, like a chill player.
Like, even if I make a huge tree, I'm not like, um, how do you say?
You don't celebrate a lot.
Yeah.
Well, I think she brings a lot of energy.
She's very tough.
She's one of the most tough players I've ever played with.
Um, and I think we need that kind of energy.
On the road at Bellarmine up in Louisville and three straight at home.
Sophia, we enjoyed chatting with you and enjoy the rest of the season.
Thank you guys so much.
That's Sophia Cipollati, the super sophomore sensation.
I've got to work that in every time.
We'll take a timeout.
This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full court press.
The full court press Cuban sandwich, inspired by Coach Tony Pujol.
This sandwich brings championship flavor, and it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight up MVP material.
Run the full court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy,
effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,
helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
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Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss out on the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Got wine?
Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine and an unmatched selection of nearly 1,000 different wines to suit any budget,
the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence.
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located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater.
Cheers!
Well, it's been a while, but we're finally catching up with North Alabama head coach Kandi Whitaker.
She has been all over the place.
Coach, we've been talking about it from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Conway, Arkansas,
Carrollton, Georgia, Richmond, Kentucky.
You've got to go back to Kentucky tomorrow.
Do you know where you're at right now?
I'm loving some lost pizza.
I know exactly where I'm at, for sure.
No, it's been a whirlwind, and we can...
Some of that's obviously the weather a little,
but we can thank the A-Sun for two trips up to Kentucky.
I think we're the only team that I'm aware of that's had to do that.
I know our men didn't, and I know our, quote, travel partner didn't,
so I'm not sure how we drew the short straw there,
but we'll do it, and we'll go up and compete.
Well, throughout all of this, you've kept this team locked in.
I know you don't like to talk standings,
but just one game out of third place right now,
playing really good basketball, and during this road trip,
how have you been able to keep this team locked in and refreshed physically?
Well, we've certainly modified practice and practice times, practice amounts.
We've tried to do a lot of mental work with film
and just do our best on a one-day prep,
which is what we had for every single game in the last week.
And I just think our group really wants to win.
They've kind of gotten a taste that they can,
and they can compete with everyone in the league,
and they've done a great job of staying focused and ready to go,
and I'm just enjoying working with them.
Coach, right before we went on air, you were talking about,
hey, if you ask me about any specific game, it might kind of be a blur.
You know, you played four games in a seven-day stretch,
a lot of those being in different airports every day,
and you talked about that one-day prep,
so I want to ask you a little bit more about that.
And, you know, when you're having to quickly move on from one game to the next
and you're also dealing with travel,
now that you're kind of at the end of that with one more road trip,
how has that process been, I guess?
Well, I've got to give a lot of credit to our staff.
I mean, they are turning scouting reports very, very quickly.
And so we had already moved to a short work week with our bench,
with our limited players that we're trying to compete with,
so we had to kind of move to a three-a-week practices anyway.
We went to even less, and we were on the road and did some walk-through
and just tried to, you know, utilize our strength and conditioning coach
to keep them fresh and stretched out
and our training staff to take care of their legs.
And our kids have been able to lock in,
and it's been sufficient enough, I think, to prepare.
Some of these are the repeat games, which also helps
because we've seen them once and we can see how they guarded us
and see what adjustments we needed to make.
I've been with teams before that have done walk-throughs,
shoot-arounds at an airport, doing some crazy travel situations.
Have you guys had to do anything unique in this preparation run?
No, we haven't, but, I mean, sometimes we just don't even use our shoot.
I mean, you know, I like to get on people's gyms,
but if sleep is better for us, I'm big on sleep,
and we'll sleep in and maybe get to the gym a little bit early.
EKU pulled a fast one on us.
We're going to get there, you know, 90 minutes before
to make sure we can get on the floor,
and then they start the clock early, you know, 20 minutes difference,
and then all of a sudden it gets to zero,
and then they put seven more minutes on the clock.
And so we were a little disgruntled with them and how they communicated that.
But typically everything is in the favor of keeping our kids as rested
and as fresh as possible to go compete in-game.
Well, as we can tell, talking to you, talking to the players,
there's a lot of quirky things that can happen with these road trips,
whether it's actually on the road or in the arena or in the game.
But knowing that those final three are going to be at home,
not looking too far ahead, but you got that last road trip to Bellarmine,
you didn't get three at home.
How big is it to end with those three?
Well, as tough as our stretch was, if I had to choose,
I would choose to end at home.
I just think February is such a hard month.
It really tests you in a lot of ways.
We definitely talked a lot about that stretch preparing us
for the conference tournament with having to be a one-day prep game,
one-day prep game,
which is exactly what the conference tournament is.
So I think it had huge value in us understanding what that looks like.
But we are so happy to be able to end this month at home.
And then again, during this stretch,
obviously Allie's kind of been the leader, right?
But then you've had five total players scoring double figures,
India Howard, Jazzy Kling, Katie Criswell, and Sophia Cipollati.
Just how nice has it been night in, night out,
kind of having a different player step up?
Yeah, well, I think, you know, when we started the year,
I felt like we had the capability of having multiple people make plays
and be a go-to player in any given game.
And I think you've seen that, you know.
And I think they're embracing their opportunities.
They all get to play a lot of minutes.
And so they know that they have to show up
and they have to perform if we're going to win a game.
There's no one to come in and replace them to get that done.
And I think they've all embraced that
with, obviously, Allie being the leader there.
Coach, I tried to avoid asking you about any specific game
upon your request, but I've got to ask you about West Georgia.
That's the one where Allie actually took a little bit of a step back
in scoring and had eight assists in that game.
That was more of a Katie Criswell scoring game.
Is that more of a game flow thing for you as well as a coach
just when Allie's more passing the ball?
And how does that work?
Well, you know, I'll say this about Allie.
I feel good about every ball game that Allie is in
because of her level of competitiveness.
I don't necessarily know how many points she's going to get,
but I know she is going to compete her tail off
on both ends of the floor.
She makes everyone around her better,
whether she's scoring it or assisting it or drawing charges.
I mean, she's drawn more offensive fouls from opponents
than probably, I mean, she's got to lead the league in that,
whether it's jumping in front of a cutter,
getting a post player foul on a moving screen,
or taking a charge on the basketball.
So she has just made so many plays.
And I think everyone has really followed her.
Katie was unbelievable in that game.
I told the staff at half, no one is to speak to Katie.
Don't look at her.
Don't talk to her.
Don't tell her good job.
Say literally nothing because she was completely in the zone,
19 points and a half.
Dog tired.
But just, she was just so good.
I mean, her jump shot's so beautiful, and it was just on,
and she was just catching and shooting and everything.
Everything was very effortless in that game for her.
So really excited that she could have that kind of performance.
Just let her cook.
That's right.
You sound like a baseball coach.
Are you a superstitious person?
No, but I live with one, not a coach, but a baseball player,
and super superstitious.
They all are, right?
It's like part of their DNA.
I am not, but, you know, Matt, if you watch him in our games,
he'll move around because, you know,
he is why we are playing well or not playing well.
Don't leave that seat when things are going well.
He'll keep it moving.
Pink jerseys, they've been a humongous hit.
Tell us about the inspiration behind those.
Well, you know, it's play for K game on women's basketball.
Kay Yao was a long-time coach at NC State
and a great pioneer for women's basketball.
So that foundation started because of her and her battle.
With breast cancer.
And at Texas Tech, we were one of the first
to really jump on that bandwagon and do a great job.
And I just think women's basketball has done a great job
of supporting that foundation.
And I was so excited to have pink uniforms for our team.
And our team, we're excited.
And Michelle and Rob Jones are the ones who stepped up
and helped make that happen.
So we certainly appreciate their contributions.
We need to do, like, a T-shirt giveaway or something like that,
a replica of the pink jerseys.
Because I've had a lot of people say, hey, where can I get one?
Yeah, and they are bright.
They are.
They are good.
Yeah, our team really enjoys wearing them.
So we wanted to wear them more than once.
You know, we have our upcoming official pink game,
but we tried to squeeze in another siding.
Well, that kind of leads me to my next question.
Obviously a great cause, but when you have a pink, there's hot pink,
there's a little bit of a lighter pink.
So you think we got the pink color right as well?
It's bright.
Yeah.
I mean, you know, I think if you're going to go pink,
just, you know, make sure everyone knows it's pink.
Yes.
Yeah, all the way.
All right, Coach.
On the road, Wednesday at Bellarmine, final three games at home.
We'll talk to you again next week and the week after that.
So this isn't the last time by any means.
But this team, what's it going to take to lock in and finish strong?
Well, I think, you know, again, playing on the road,
there's always different, you know, challenges.
So we just, we've got to go into Bellarmine.
They've struggled a bit, but you can't overlook anyone.
You've got to go in and you've got to play well.
And obviously a win is vital,
but I also really care how we're playing this time of year.
So playing well, playing with a lot of confidence,
needs to continue towards the end of this conference season
and into the tournament.
We appreciate the time.
It's good to see you, Coach.
Thank you.
It's good to be home.
I know you've got to go back to Kentucky,
but we look forward to having you guys back in the bank.
Sounds great.
Thank you.
That's North Alabama head coach Candy Whitaker.
We'll keep the show rolling.
This is UNA Basketball Night for Mal's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full court press.
The full court press Cuban sandwich inspired by Coach Tony Pujol.
This sandwich brings championship flavor and it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight up MVP material.
Run the full court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
Where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft wave therapy.
Effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area.
Helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
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Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall and roar lines.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss out on the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Prohibition is over, and the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.
Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.
Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.
Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest Free Block Party and Concert,
featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.
Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.
Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.
Oh, man, it's always a fun time down here at Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence.
Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel back with you here on UNA Basketball Night.
Our next guest, how about this, his sixth year at North Alabama.
As far as Mike knows, he's the only player to be at one school for six seasons.
He's one of a handful of six-year players in NCAA Division I college basketball.
Dallas Howell is in the house.
Dallas, sum up Sunday's win.
The moments, the crowd, the feeling, man, how was it?
Just an unreal feeling to feel all the support, all the love from this community,
and just an unreal feeling to give them a win that they deserve from all that support.
You know, and that's something we fight for every day.
And then just seeing, you know, the plays that our whole team made,
it felt like everybody made a win in play at some point in that game.
And that's just something that can separate these games for us and give us wins now
is that fight and that grit that we showed.
I know it had to be tough last year, kind of missing out on those playoff moments inside of the bank,
but do you feel like you got to taste that again on Sunday?
For sure, absolutely.
And I think I was sitting next to Kevin in starting lineups, and I was talking to him about it.
I was like, man, I hate that I missed this last year, but I'm so glad I get to see it this year.
So it was just, it was so good to see that.
Now, Dallas, on a typical game day, kind of like Sunday and you're at home,
what time are you normally getting to the gym?
Does it usually just depend on the tip-off time?
Yeah, it depends on the tip-off time.
They, we all get both ankles taped for every game, so we have specific tape times to be there for.
But then right after I get taped, I think I'm one of, there's only a couple of us that go straight up to the court after that,
so I'm one of the only ones that does that.
So I'm up there about, normally around 80 minutes before tip-off, I'm up there getting shots up.
So I guess, like, shoot around that morning is where I'm kind of going with this.
You walk in the gym for the first time, and I don't know if it's in the process or if it's already happened,
but you see 2,500 white T-shirts all over the gym from CB&S Bank Arena.
Was that, did it sit in for you, see all the ESPN cameras, and we're just talking about how, like,
expensive some of that equipment is.
But seeing all of that going on when you walk in the gym for the first time, what was your reaction?
It was wild, and I will say it was during the process of it.
I think they were putting out the last couple hundred T-shirts whenever we walked in,
so just seeing that sea of white shirts out there, it was a feeling.
And just knowing that those seats were going to be filled because that's the community we have,
it was just exciting and something to look forward to for the game.
We kind of get the pregame jitters early in the shoot-around, so it was an experience for sure.
We're going to talk about that game here in just a second, but game ends,
and I think you ran up in the stands maybe, hugged some family members.
But what I noticed after that was everybody in the arena wanted to shake hands with Dallas Howell.
What was that victory lap like for you?
It was great, and it's just the same thing I've been saying for a long time here.
It's just the support I feel from these people, and it's not, it's nothing of,
oh, it's just because you're on your new basketball.
It's a personal support and love that they show, and it's just,
it felt so good to see them so proud of us, and, you know, they're so proud even in the losses.
But after a game like that where they saw how hard we fought,
just seeing how proud they were of us, it helps so much.
It makes us feel so good about what we do.
You've been part of a lot of big moments over these six years, and even last year's run.
Even though you weren't playing, you were still a part of it.
You were still there, and you were still a big part of the team, those games.
Where does this one rank for you as far as,
if you had to go back through the Rolodex of six years, where does this one rank?
Yeah, I mean, it's a lot of games to go through, but as of right now,
it may be some recency bias, but it's top five for me,
just in the sense of, you know, what I was able to give for the game
and the crowd, the atmosphere.
It's up there with the last year securing the regular season championship,
that feeling from the crowd, you know, it was very similar for me in that sense.
And it was nice to just be out there on the floor for it.
44 minutes played, 11 points, six rebounds, one block, one steal.
Probably should have had another couple blocks, some phantom foul calls.
That's not what I'm going to talk to you about, though.
But you stuffed the stat sheet.
One assist, and that one assist was the biggest of the game.
First of all, you got an offensive rebound on a tie-up off of a free throw.
Then you get the ball in the corner off the inbounds.
You drive in.
We all think you're about to score the tying bucket.
But you kick it out to Kev, who hits the three to put us up.
I thought it was going to be the icing on the cake for that ball game.
But take us through that play, what you saw, and what was going through your head.
Yeah, starting with the free throw, you know,
I'm never a guy that really gets on the free throw blockouts
just because I trust my guys to make it.
But something told me to just get in for that possession and see what would happen.
And it ended up to a place where I could get my hands on it and get a jump ball.
Got us the possession.
And then, you know, the play was drawn up for me to go to the corner and get a shot off.
And when I came off the screen, I saw that I wasn't going to be able to get a comfortable look off.
And I knew we had plenty of time.
And so I knew I could drive it and maybe potentially draw some help or get to the rim.
And as soon as I saw Kev's man take a step, I knew that he was the man to get.
And I trust him with that shot every time.
So it was just a no-brainer once I got that drive to the paint.
So you don't normally go in for free throws?
You made that decision right there?
If you'll go back and look, I think that might have been one of the only ones, maybe all year,
I've been in on for our players shooting free throws that I've stepped in to be a blockout man for.
And then you get to the corner.
I mean, you're a three-point marksman.
I mean, how do you know when you have room?
Is it a feeling?
Is it something you see?
It's something you can kind of feel.
And then, you know, you're always trying to look out the corner of your eye.
But it was just a feeling that, you know, with the past couple plays, I'd got open a couple times and they'd lost me.
And you could just tell that they were not – they were focused on not losing me that time.
And I was just focused on getting open and getting the ball in play and then making a play from there.
All right.
That's a two-part question for me.
And the first part of it, I want to go back to something you said about you don't normally go in for the rebound on those free throws,
but something told you to do it.
Knowing that you have that trust from your teammates and from Coach Pujol and the rest of the coaching staff that you can make a decision like that,
you can make a decision to pass it out even with some time on the shot clock.
How does it feel to know that you have that type of trust being in this program for so long?
Yeah, it's so comforting, really.
And it's during the games, it's nothing but, you know, just I respect everything that they see out there
and I trust everything they see.
And I've been here so long and built so much trust with them that they trust everything I see out there.
So it's just that mutual respect going back and just understanding each other
and understanding what we're seeing and how we can, you know, match that for the rest of the guys
to kind of put together what we need to do.
And then second part of that, Ben went through your stat line a little bit, 11 points, six rebounds.
He highlighted the one assist.
That was the biggest one of the game.
I want to talk about the 44 minutes.
We kind of joked a little bit off the air about how, you know, you're getting a little old to play that much time,
but how did it feel to play 44 minutes?
For sure.
You know, at a certain point in every game, it just gets to where you're going to feel the same
no matter how many more you play.
And it got to that point by the end of regulation, but every time I looked over to the bench,
you know, Coach Smith would see me tired and he'd look over and tell me and say,
it's not enough yet.
That's what it was.
It's not enough.
There's got to be more to give.
You've got to find it somewhere.
And that's what we did as a team is everybody dug deep and found some more to give.
And we walked away with a win because of it.
You, Dante Bonkis, Cornelius Williams, you guys combined for 48 points and 30 rebounds.
And you three are kind of the old dudes on this team, right?
I mean, was there something, sense of urgency clicking with this trio, you think?
Absolutely.
And, you know, I think it came from, there were a lot of factors for it this game, you
know, just trying to get off the skid we were on and then knowing that the crowd was going
to show out for us, unlike we'd seen this year, you know, to an extent we hadn't seen this
year because of the ESPNU and all that was going on.
And it was just, you know, we knew that right now it had to happen.
It was that game that we had to make the turnaround and get some momentum going.
And that's the goal now is just to keep that momentum going and one game at a time, one day
at a time to get to the tournament.
So, you know, people like Ben and I, we talk about this a lot, how a crowd can really affect
a game.
And, you know, it sounds really cliche, but I truly feel like in a game like that, the
crowd almost really flipped it.
I mean, would you agree with that?
And would you say the crowd had just as much of an impact on this win?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And, you know, it's, it's something you feel it's nothing you'll be able to quantify with
like stats or anything, but you can absolutely feel it.
Like when Kev hits that big shot and everybody goes crazy, it was like, there was no chance
they were scoring on that next possession.
Like no matter what, the crowd was so behind us, we were so hyped up that they, we knew we
were good.
And it was just, so stuff like that is just really hard to, to replicate without an experience
like you see here.
All right, Dallas running out of time here, set up our next two guests, Kevin Dekovicic and
Cortez Graham Howard are going to join us.
They both have big moments on Sunday afternoon.
Two young guys as well.
Kev's been here two years, Cortez, this is his first year, but one, how proud are you
of them and how can they build off that?
It's so unbelievably proud.
They're two guys that, you know, every chance I get, I try to tell them how, that I really
appreciate how hard they work and what they show out there.
And, you know, it really showed this game, you know, Kev and Tez, actually both of them,
I came up to them both during the game and told them just how, how proud I was of them
and how, how just cold-blooded they were for some of the plays they made.
It was unreal to watch.
And just the trust that we have in them as a team is sky high.
Well, Dallas, man, we appreciate you joining us.
We got a good push coming up, heading up into the A-Sun tournament.
And hey, enjoy this ride.
And we look forward to talking to you some more as the season goes on.
Yes, sir.
Thank you all.
That's Dallas Howell.
UNA men are at home on Wednesday.
There'll be flip-flopping road games, so be sure and come out to the bank this week.
Check them out.
All right, coming up next, Kevin Dukovicic and Cortez Graham Howard stop by next.
Still to come, UNA head basketball coach Tony Poole as well.
This is UNA basketball night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full-court press.
The full-court press Cuban sandwich, inspired by Coach Tony Poole.
This sandwich brings championship flavor, and it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand-new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight-up MVP material.
Run the full-court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft-wave therapy,
effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,
helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleyciro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual
health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
Have you ever seen those halftime scholarships where you have to nail a 40-yard field goal?
Yeah, this isn't that.
I didn't have to write a long essay or audition or make a half-court shot.
I just had to open a bank independent account, use my debit card, sign up for online banking,
and have a positive balance.
That's it.
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When bank independent invests in students like me, they're investing in all of us and
the future of our community.
Bank independent.
We're invested in your future.
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Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss out on the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Got wine?
Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine and an unmatched selection of nearly 1,000 different wines to suit any budget,
the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence.
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Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers,
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Here we go.
We got a full house down here at Los Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence.
Spendery Mike Ezekiel.
And in between us we got Kevin Dukovicic and Cortez Graham Howard.
They both had several clutch plays in the win against Eastern Kentucky.
Kev finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists.
Cortez down here, the true freshman, finished with 11 points, six rebounds.
He had a clutch three in overtime.
Kev, let's start with you, man.
You were part of the championship run last year.
A younger guy on that team, sophomore this year.
You're the only player to start in every game this season, so you've been a key fixture of this year's team.
Man, how did Sunday feel?
It just feels great.
Just getting the win in the bank, just having the community out there with us, supporting us.
It just felt great.
Just unreal moment.
We're just looking forward to winning more games for the community and you and the lines.
Now, Cortez, I think you had committed to North Alabama pretty early last year, if I'm not mistaken.
So, you were probably watching that run with the crowds in the bank.
And that's a large reason why ESPN put this game on.
So, for you, was it everything you'd hoped it be when you came to UNA playing in front of a crowd like that?
Yeah, well, especially seeing it on TV, how to white out and stuff.
We wasn't hearing them talk about it in the summer, so it was just exciting to be a part of it.
Now, we asked Dallas this question earlier.
On a day like Sunday, what time are you guys usually getting to the gym?
And just describe the first time you walked in and if you did see those T-shirts and the cameras being set up and everything,
what was it like seeing it for the first time when you walked in?
First time we walked in, it was around 9 for shoot-around.
I saw they were setting up the gym.
The T-shirts was getting put on to see.
I was like, wow, oh, yeah, this place is going to be packed later on tonight.
We just got to take the shoot-around serious, be locked in, and just be ready to play tonight.
How about you, Taz?
What was it like for you seeing all of that for the first time when you walked in the gym?
You could kind of already kind of like feel the energy, even with our shoot-around.
Our head coach, he always preaches like energy and shoot-around are like leading up to the game.
So you could already kind of like feel the energy seeing the shirts and all that.
All right, for both of you, let's talk about your big moments, and let's go in order.
Kev, let's start with the pass from Dallas.
You step up, you hit that three.
Let's start with what's going through your head as you're watching Dallas get the ball in the corner.
Just first, I was like, shoot it.
You know, I got all the confidence in the world.
In Dallas, I was ready for that shot.
I thought he was going to make it, but he drove.
I just slide with him, and he just found me on the wing.
I just made that shot.
It's just great to see my teammates trusting me, my coach.
So it was just a moment I had to step up and take advantage of my opportunity.
You got the ball, and it was one of the most confident shots I feel like I've seen from you.
Did you know you were hitting it all the way?
Yeah.
And then the roar of the crowd afterwards, man.
Take us into that feeling.
No, yeah, it was great.
The bank just got super loud.
It was great just all the support from the community and the students just an unreal moment.
All right.
And, Tez, I'll set up your moment then.
Let's go to overtime as we have a tie game.
Energy is still just popping.
Kind of a weird stat.
And, Ben, you may know this.
I didn't until today just looking at the stats.
We only made one field goal in overtime.
All of the rest of our points came from free throws.
And you had that one big basket there in overtime.
Talk about what that moment was like for you to get the crowd into it in that moment.
It was kind of like a shot where you kind of like – I worked on that shot plenty of times.
The gym was one of the shots where the shot clock was going down.
And we were originally trying to get Dante to post up because he had the hot hand at that night.
So we were just trying to get him to the line, keep him going.
And they took it away, so I just sent him through and just played my game.
Now, I had a little snafu on my broadcast, and I forgot to start it in overtime.
So people listening missed it, and I didn't figure it out until after the fact.
But I kind of said you looked like Kobe Bryant on that baseline shot with the fadeaway, man.
Was there some inspiration there with that shot?
Kind of, yeah.
And, again, for you feeling the crowd in that moment, man, what was that like?
It was an unreal moment, man.
Essentially, like, being on the couch watching it last year, seeing it on TV.
And for me to actually be in that moment, it really meant a lot.
Let's go back to overtime to you, Kev, and just your experience from that.
Because after that field goal, we took the lead, I believe, on your free throw.
And then you make five the rest of the way.
Ice water in your veins.
I mean, you just have to deal with the pressure in that moment.
What did it feel?
Did it feel like relief to do that?
Or how did you feel during that overtime?
It was just, like, I just felt the support all the way from, like I said, the community.
I just felt just all the support of my teammates, my coaching, my coaches.
Just everybody just trusting me.
So, I just have to go to the line and just make my free throws just opportunities.
So, I have to do it.
We've been talking about how things have been a blur.
And, Kev, I want to talk about some highlight plays with both of you.
But, Kev, was it West Georgia where you had the breakaway dunk?
Or was it Central Arc?
West Georgia.
Central Arc.
The games are really running together right now.
Yeah, Central Arc.
But, man, take me through that dunk.
I think it was a turnover.
You took it away.
And you just raced past everybody, man.
I didn't know you could fly like that.
No, yeah.
I don't dunk often.
But I could get up a little bit.
That would feel pretty good?
Yeah.
Taz, we all know about your poster dunk for non-conference play.
Now, you didn't get this dunk on Sunday.
But, man, you cocked it back on the baseline.
The entire arena was waiting on it, man.
Again, your high-flying abilities, man.
What are we going to see another one thrown down?
Next game.
Next game.
I want to shift it to this.
And, again, I didn't look at this to confirm it.
But I believe, Kev, for sure, this was probably a career-high minutes for you.
You played 41 minutes.
Barely came off the floor.
And, Tez, I want to say it's probably close to one, if not one, for you at 32 minutes.
Just talk about what it's like being in the game that long, going that stretch, and knowing you had to do it in overtime as well.
Starting with you, Kev.
It's just being tired, but it's just something you got to do.
Like, just you got to push through fatigue.
Like, Coach always preaches it.
Like, you got to push through it.
Push through fatigue.
You got to give everything.
You got to just leave it all on the floor.
So, I knew it was going to be a high-minute game for me because some players were dealing with some injuries and stuff like that.
So, I knew it was going to be a long night.
But I just had to do it and push through it.
And, Tez, for you, having your number called a lot in that game, playing a lot of minutes, especially down the stretch and in overtime, what was that like for you?
I was tired, bro.
I ain't going to cut, bro.
I was tired.
I was tired.
I was nervous.
I went up to D, having the game.
I was like, bro, I'm nervous right now, bro.
He was like, just play your game, trust yourself.
He was like, he trusts me and helped me get through.
All right.
For both of you, we have a tough close to regulation, right?
And we go into overtime.
What was it like in that huddle, heading into overtime?
Was there anything that helped you guys regroup?
I think the main thing is just connected, just being connected.
That's always our main focus, just making sure everybody on the same page, making sure we all connect as a unit and we all stay positive.
Like, no matter what happened, everything going to be okay as long as we connected.
Like, other teams going to go and run.
That's going to happen.
It's just a part of the game.
But if we stay connected and we stay together all for 40 minutes, it's going to be, we're going to grow at the end of the day.
So, and that's all we're looking for.
We're just looking to grow and keep getting better for March.
So.
Yeah.
Next question for both of you.
Speaking of that, you know, we're in the final stretch of mid-February here.
Four games remaining.
The celebration in the locker room after that, it just felt good to celebrate with coach, celebrate with the team, and to have that feeling and then know, hey, this is a game that can change seasons.
This is a game where we're starting now for the final four.
We're working towards the tournament.
We already know that we're going.
Do you think this is a game that can kind of change the vibe, and do you feel the vibe is a little different now?
Oh, yeah.
Especially winning that game.
As y'all know, we haven't had the best conference season, but we always just preach every game.
Just keep playing hard and just do what we do and stay us.
Even if we lose, y'all always preach to us.
We can lose, but if we us, more than likely, we won't lose anyway.
So, it was just good to get a win.
Yeah, and just like Coach always preach, just believe, just at any point, at any point, stuff can turn around.
So, we believe that the season's not over at all.
So, we still got a long way to go.
We're not worrying about the next.
We're just worrying about what's coming next.
And, yeah, just staying positive and staying connected through it all.
You both came out and did some post-game media with us.
And we couldn't get you to post-game media because of all the little kids that were swarming you guys for photos and autographs.
And it was quite an extraordinary scene.
It's one of my favorite things about games in the bank.
But what's it feel like for you guys when you come out and all those youngsters are wanting to get a little piece of you?
It just feels great.
Just, again, the support from the community.
Just all the little kids just being happy to see us play.
So, it just feels good.
It meant a lot because we had a few summer camps over the summertime while we was down here practicing and all this.
So, a lot of the kids that we've seen, they came to our camp.
So, it was good to see them turn around to support us.
Absolutely.
And to be at home for the last three and you get one more on Wednesday at Queens, how does it feel to know that, you know, we had that stretch of five road games.
I believe it was 23 days between home games.
Now, you've been at home a lot.
You get one more home game coming up here on Wednesday.
How does it feel to play at home?
Man, it feels good, especially being on the road a lot.
Like, we all say, like, we'll be in a hotel, but like, dang, like, we all be saying we miss home, we'll be in Florence.
But then we go out of town and we'll be like, dang, we miss Florence and just playing at home.
So, it means a lot for us to have that home stretch.
Yeah, and it's always a great feeling playing in the bank in front of our people.
So, yeah, for sure it feels good to be at home.
Cortez, nine points against West Georgia.
You knocked down all three of your three tries.
Eastern Kentucky, double figures, 11.6 rebounds.
That's a career high for you, man.
Freshman year, do you feel like things are really starting to click for you now?
Yeah, it is, especially like with Kev.
Kev would come into the game if I turn the ball over everybody.
Just them putting that trust in me for me to get through mistakes, and it kind of loosens me up a little bit.
So, I appreciate them.
And, Kev, for you, I feel like the scoring has been an uptick of late.
But, also, the assist.
Do you feel like you're leading this offense a little more in multiple ways?
Yeah, I just feel like that's just a part of my game, just getting guys involved and just making the extra pass, trusting my teammates.
I know my guys like Dallas, guys like Tez, Braylon, Dante.
I know I pass them, but I got all the trust in the world in them to make a shot.
So, I feel like it's just like trusting them.
And, Kev, you know, you were in the position Tez is in now.
Last year, that was the position you were in.
You were the young guy, the freshman, trying to figure it out, the speed of the game.
You figured it out.
Now you're starting.
You know, talk about the transition from being that freshman into now being in, essentially, a leadership role on this team.
Like you said, yeah, I was in the same kind of same spot as Tez, just trying to figure it out, just taking one day at a time,
just taking advice from all the older guys, just trying to figure it out, like you said.
But now it's more like leading, like you said, just taking more of that leadership role and just being a little more vocal
and trying to lead people on and off the court.
So, yeah, it was definitely a different type of role, but that's what I had to do.
For either one of you, let's talk about a couple of your teammates.
Dante Bacchus, five 20-point games in his last seven games.
What's getting into Dante of late?
So, Dante, he always, more than likely, other teams, they better play or probably it's his matchup.
So, I always put it in his head that the other player better than him.
And then ever since I've been telling him that he's been going off, so I'm going to stick with it.
So, you're taking the credit for motivating Dante is what you're saying.
Yeah, for sure.
I like it.
He is.
He is.
Let's talk about Dallas Howell.
He was on the show earlier.
He's played a lot of basketball.
And Ben alluded to this earlier, according to our research, and we did a lot of it, by the way,
Dallas is the only six-year senior to play all six at the same school.
So, he's been in this program a long time.
He understands the values.
He understands the system.
And for him to have a game like he did and to be part of this and to help lead this team,
what does he mean to this program?
He's just, like, an ultimate leader.
Like, everything you ask him, like, he got an advice for you.
He got something to tell you.
Like, he's never going to leave you the empty-ended.
Like, he always got some positive, always gives 100% effort.
He's just a great person to be around and a great teammate on and off the court.
That's pretty much Unk.
So, like, anything he really said in the locker room, a whole lot of weight.
So, we really value him a lot.
All right, fellas.
Queens Wednesday at home, Saturday at Lipscomb.
Next week, Bellarmine and West Georgia.
And then the regular season's over.
Hard to believe.
Time flies when you're having fun.
But how do we build off a Sunday and make a run and get some momentum heading into the A-Sun tournament?
Just double down on what worked.
Just come back, get to work, watch film, go back in the gym, lock in on defensive principle.
Just lock in on our principle.
Just what got us to that point and just play hard and play together and stay connected.
Kind of like topping off of what Kev said, just be how always – he said earlier in the season when we started losing a lot, he always tells us, remember what it feels like to win.
Even when we do lose, he was like just telling – he always tells us we got everything he needs in the locker room for us to just keep fighting.
So, even off the wins, we just got to keep going.
It's a whole new game.
The other teams, they really don't care about last game, so we just got to take their mentality every game.
Well, fellas, we appreciate you both joining us.
We loved watching you guys on Sunday.
And, hey, I'm calling for it.
I want both of you to have poster dunks on Wednesday.
Can you guys make that happen?
Yes, sir.
Cortez Graham Howard, thank you very much.
Kevin Dekovicic, thank you.
Thank you.
We'll take one more time out.
We'll wrap it up with the head coach, Tony Pujol, next.
This is UNA Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.
Shoals drop everything.
This is not a drill.
Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full-court press.
The full-court press Cuban sandwich inspired by Coach Tony Pujol.
This sandwich brings championship flavor, and it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals.
And coming off the bench hot, our brand-new buffalo chicken dip.
Creamy, spicy, straight-up MVP material.
Run the full-court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now offering soft-wave therapy,
effective for osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, foot ulcers, shoulder pain, and more.
We also offer the only Theralight 360 red light therapy beds in the Shoals area,
helping with sleep, energy, recovery, pain, and inflammation.
Therapies coupled with dry kneeling can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleychiro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you're looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
Imagine a bank where you feel at home.
Real people living right here in your community are the heart of Bank Independent and everything we do.
You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together
that create a stronger community full of endless potential.
For over 75 years, we've served this place we all call home.
Bank Independent.
We're invested in you.
Member FDIC.
Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses?
This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care.
Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.
You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself.
Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.
We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall.
And roar lines.
Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun.
Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?
Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics.
Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.
Don't miss out on the good times.
Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.
Prohibition is over, and the good times will flow once again at the Florence Wine Fest, February 20th and 21st.
Friday night sets its own with coops, cocktails, and velvet smooth live music.
Saturday afternoon, taste your way through an unforgettable wine experience.
Then Saturday night, the city comes alive with the Florence Wine Fest free block party and concert, featuring Atlanta's great grand finale band.
Free block party tickets and full event details are at FlorenceWineFest.com.
Proudly presented by Visit the Shoals, with support from CB&S Bank, Clearview Cancer Institute, and the Hotels of Florence.
Here we go, wrapping things up from Lost Pizza Shoals here on 98 through 9, the score.
It's UNA basketball night, and the head basketball coach, Tony Pujol, is in the house.
Hey, I want to shout out a couple of people.
Braden Rogers, Grant Wakefield, Eli Rainey, Ty Coulter.
They got to work on the ESPN crew on Sunday.
They all played a large part in making that ESPNU broadcast possible.
I was proud to see two others from our student crew working as well.
So we had six people on that TV crew.
It was very special for them, and it was special for North Alabama.
Coach, just sum up Sunday, the community support, the university represented on the national stage, and the big win.
Yeah, I'll tell you, I spoke with a lot of folks right after the game,
and a lot of them told me it brought back memories of last year in the postseason at home,
and the energy in the building was amazing.
I thought to know that during this season and where we're at right now with our team,
that our university leads the league in attendance just shows the commitment that this community has,
not just for men's basketball, for the entire athletics department, right?
This weekend having baseball, doing what they did, and the folks came out for that.
You know, and shout out to them.
They started off by winning a series.
So very happy for Jad and what he's doing.
Our women, you know, dealing now with what we dealt with a week ago,
playing five straight road games.
And, you know, where they're at, and we're happy for them in the way that they've progressed all year.
But just very thankful for the folks in our community that just continue.
Their unwavering support is incredible, and it's felt.
I want them to know that it's felt.
And we're very thankful, very grateful for that.
Coach, I feel like we had maybe three or four phone calls this weekend,
and every time either you started or ended with, what's the baseball score?
How's baseball doing?
And you were rushing to get over it.
You were excited.
So a lot of community support and a lot of Lions supporting Lions.
It's so important.
And one thing you talked about, we asked the players this.
When they walked into the gym for the first time,
their reaction to seeing all the shirts from CB&S Bank Arena on the seats,
it just felt like a different vibe.
What was it like for you to see that for the first time?
Well, first of all, I want to thank, you know, Mike Ross and CB&S Bank for all they've done,
not just in this game, since the first day we've been here.
He's been an unbelievable supporter of ours since day one.
And I'm very grateful for Mike and, you know, the work that he's done with CB&S Bank
and in partnership with the university and athletics.
The other thing is I want to thank the folks that were up at 4.30 in the morning
putting up all those 2,500 T-shirts out there.
You know, there was a lot of people that got up early and made sure that all that was set up.
But when we got to shoot around, it was a sight now.
We walked in there and it was, you know, just a whiteout.
You could already see it.
You already felt what the place was going to be like.
The energy was starting up.
The guys were starting to feel it right at shoot around, and that was at 10 a.m.
So, again, it was just a great environment to be in and, again, very thankful for our fans.
Do you say anything to the team before a game like that?
Like, hey, don't make this moment bigger than it is, but also enjoy it and cherish it?
I'll be honest with you.
What we tell our guys all the time when we go play on the road
or we play in a situation like this is the game is still the game, right?
All this is outside noise, and you've got to make sure you block it out.
And I think in a game like that, it was easy to block out that ESPN was there
because it was such a hard-fought game, and you need those guys to be connected.
You need those guys to be focused, and our guys definitely showed that down the stretch,
especially in overtime.
Without Cornelius Williams, you know, on the bench, fouled out,
you know, we had other guys just step up and make plays.
So, yeah, what we tell them is this is just outside noise,
and we need to appreciate it and enjoy it and just play the game, right?
Just play the game.
Coach, I know that you guys usually try to block out the noise with all the background
and things like that, but obviously first time being on a linear network national TV game
in the school's history hosting that, you've been a part of a lot of TV games.
There's a lot that goes into it, even for the head coach.
There's a lot of interviews you have to do, a lot of people you have to talk to,
but how major is it for us to host that national TV game for this university?
You know what?
I think what it does is, number one, it validates the decision that President Kitts made 10 years ago
for us to go Division I.
I know there were folks in the community.
Listen, I know change can be sometimes scary, but I can say this to you all.
It's the best move this university made, and this, I think, playing the first national televised game
in Flowers Hall at CB&S Bank Arena, you know, validates the decision,
validates the trajectory where this program is heading
and the trajectory where athletics and school is heading.
So now when you get on campus and you see the brand-new dorms
where you see the football stadium and the unbelievable baseball field
that we just put together, it just, again, validates the decision
and validates where we're headed, and it was definitely the right choice.
Let's talk a little bit more in-depth about the game, Coach.
You got 48 points and 30 rebounds from Dante Bacchus, Cornelius Williams, and Dallas Howell,
kind of the old guard of the team, right?
Just how pivotal was that for those three to really step up on Sunday?
Well, you know what?
You didn't add the combined minutes they played.
If I would have played those combined minutes, I think I could probably score 40-something points.
But, no, that being said, I'll say this.
Today I was talking to a few of our folks here that are with us,
that, again, are unwavering supporters,
and I was telling them how today was a day where it was a recovery lift,
it was treatment, it was we were watching film of last night's game
and preparing for Queens today, and then some of them got on the court just to get up shots,
but it was a very light day because we had some guys play some major minutes last night,
and it's a quick turnaround, right?
We're going to play now in 48 hours.
So, for us right now, I'm very proud of the way these guys competed
because some of these guys did play extended minutes,
and I'm just very proud of the way they just competed and didn't worry about that
and just went out there and executed the way they were supposed to.
Coach, I want to talk about the big play there, the final minute of regulation.
Under a minute to go, about 38 seconds was when the shot was hit,
but Dallas has the ball, drives in, kicks it out to Kev.
He makes the three.
What conversation happened before that play, and how did that all come about to you?
Yeah, well, look, Dallas Howell, in this game,
there was a couple moments in the game where people don't realize
because some of it doesn't even show up in stat sheets, right?
But on the far side, on the defensive end of the floor, there was a loose ball,
and he was the first to the floor, got a tie-up.
They got the ball underneath, out of bounds, and in that same next sequence,
he dives on the floor again, first to the floor, and then gets us on a break,
which puts Kevin at the free throw line.
Again, those things sometimes don't come up on stat sheets,
but when we do chart first to the floor, and to me, those are championship plays, right?
Because those are what we call 80-20 balls that we need to come up with,
and Dallas was huge in that sequence.
If you go back to the three that Kevin hit, Dallas got a tie-up on an offensive rebound,
which maintained the ball in our possession.
The next play down is when he kicks out.
And again, I think that's just the trust that these guys have built for one another.
So I give a lot of credit to Kevin for having the courage to take a shot like that
in a moment like that and making it, but a lot of credit also goes to Dallas
and making sure that that play happens.
Then in overtime, Mike pointed out the only field goal came from the true freshman,
Cortez Graham Howard, and he had maybe his best game of the year, 11 points,
six rebounds, that clutch fadeaway jumper.
How much confidence did that young man show in overtime?
Oh, huge.
I think this was kind of like one of those games where you look at, as a staff, we looked at each other
and we felt like he took a big step forward.
It's a grown-up moment, right?
That's a game where hopefully he can now, with the momentum of that moment, will now propel him.
That changes a freshman into a sophomore, right?
And now my thing is, again, he knows that the players around him have a ton of confidence in him.
He hopefully knows that our staff has a ton of confidence in him.
And we expect him to just go out there and compete.
We're not going to ever be perfect, right?
We don't coach perfection.
But what we do coach is effort and energy.
And he brought that, and he also brought courage with him.
Because that shot that he made, that wasn't an easy one.
And I'll tell you this, what was even more impressive was he wanted to switch.
So he brought Dante over, and he wanted to switch.
He wanted to make the play.
And, again, I commend a young man who's a freshman in doing that.
That just showed me a lot of maturity in his part.
Coach, final thing for me.
I think we're coming up on the hour here.
But first half, four from eight from the line, 50%.
Second half, 16-24, 66%.
And then, of course, in overtime, it felt like this game was decided by our free-throw shooting.
11-14, almost 80%.
I mean, talk about how big those free-throws were at the end of that game.
100%.
And it's something they work on, right?
It's something that we have drills that we do from a free-throw standpoint.
We call it 8-9-10, or 10 in a row.
They've got to hit 10 in a row before they leave the gym.
So they do this on a daily basis.
And for us, especially a team like us, who put a lot of pressure at the rim,
we put a lot of pressure in the paint, we're going to tend to get to the line.
In fact, I think we lead the league in free-throw attempts
because that's where we put a lot of our pressure in.
So if you're going to be a team that does that,
you better be good at the free-throw line
because more than likely, teams are going to get fouled.
So I thought our guys did a tremendous job of staying focused down the stretch
and finishing the game.
All right, Coach, we've seen this almost every year in the Atlantic Sun the last five years.
Teams getting hot at the end of the year, carrying it into March and making a run.
Jacksonville did it as a 10 seed.
Bellerin did it as a low seed.
So we've seen teams do it.
So what's it going to take for this team to build off of Sunday's momentum
and get this thing going?
Yeah, I think what they need to do right now is tonight, I'm hoping these guys eat their pizza
and go home, go to bed, right?
Get some rest because tomorrow we want to keep building on this momentum, right?
This was a huge win.
Again, I want to make sure that I'm not leaving out the crowd, our supporters, our fans.
I mean, it was a tremendous environment, and I'll tell you, their energy took us through
the finish line in that game.
There's no question about that.
So very grateful for that.
So now my thing is, we want to give it back.
We want to make sure that we want them to come back to make sure that they're supporting
these young men.
So we've got to get ready for a good Queens team and get a little redemption from the last
game over there at their place.
The opponent, Queens, Wednesday night, 6 o'clock tip.
We hope everybody will turn out.
Coach, an exciting finish coming up.
I can't believe there's just two weeks left of this season.
We're looking forward to the close.
You got it.
Roar Lions.
Roar Lions.
That's North Alabama head coach Tony Pujol.
That's going to do it for this edition of U&A Basketball Night from Lost Pizza Shoals.
For Mike Ezekiel, Ty, Brayden, Eli, Grant, and the boys in the back.
Drew Barton's in the house.
Did a great work on the video board this past week at baseball.
For Blair back at the station, I'm Benjamin Reims and Roar Lions.
You've been listening to U&A Basketball Night at Lost Pizza Company, featuring Coach Candy
Whitaker and Coach Tony Pujol.
U&A Basketball Night has been brought to you by Lost Pizza, Bank Independent, Burnley Spine
and Sport, Renaissance Eye Care, The Carriage Wine and Market, Alabama Health
and Singing River Brewery.
Thanks for listening and Roar Lions.