UNA Basketball Night @ Lost Pizza w/ Benjamin Ray 02/24/26
93.9 The Score WYTK - February 24, 2026
https://www.939thescore.com/una-basketball-night-lost-pizza-w-benjamin-ray-02-24-26/

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 a busy Tuesday evening from Lost Pizza Shoals here in historic downtown Florence, and it's time for our final edition of UNA Basketball Night.
I'm Benjamin Ray alongside Mike Ezekiel, and boy Mike, time flies when you were having fun.
It feels like just yesterday we were tipping off basketball season in November in CB&S Bank Arena, and now here we are.
We started this show on December 31st, I believe, and conference tournament starts next week.
Two games remain for each team.
It is officially March basketball, even though we've still got a couple days left here in February.
Yeah, time has certainly flown.
You're exactly right about that.
You're right.
December was when we started the show, right before conference play.
It was a preview show, and that felt like it was only a week ago, and now we're through two months of basketball,
and I got the last week here, the regular season, getting ready for Jacksonville.
And Ben, I don't know about you, but for me, this is always the best time of year.
I love March Madness.
I love the things that come with that.
Obviously, college basketball is one of my favorite things.
But, I mean, you talk about all the other stuff going on.
I mean, the game that we just followed on 93-9, the score, all the local sports.
But then you go further than that.
You've got the Masters coming up in April.
You've got so many other just great things.
But March Madness is certainly at the center of that for us, and I'm excited for next week.
We call it A-Sun Madness, and it's the first basketball tournament to start.
Normally, night one is the first taste of March.
We made big noise a few years ago when we had the half-court buzzer beater.
The women have made deep runs.
The men have made deep runs.
And here's what we know going into this final stretch, Mike.
The women can finish anywhere from fourth place to seventh place.
And if you finish in the top four, you get a first-round buy.
So if they can knock off Central Arkansas and West Georgia,
they've got a great shot at finishing in the top four.
It's wide open on that side in terms of who's the favorite to win it.
Everybody's chasing Eastern Kentucky.
The men right now sit as the 12th seed.
We have a chance to climb there as well.
But a couple things to keep in mind.
Everybody's chasing Austin Peay on the men's side.
But the last two, three years, there's been a low seed to make a run in the tournament.
And almost all of them are full of older veterans and a good big man.
And UNA checks those boxes.
Yeah, and, you know, let's start on that side with the men's side.
You bring up a great point.
UNA, that win over Eastern Kentucky, that's a team that's gotten hot since that loss to UNA.
They're actually vying for a five seed.
And if they get that, there's a chance it could be North Alabama again.
It could be North Florida, who at times could get hot with a three-point ball.
But I go back to Jacksonville two years ago.
That's the one that's the prime example.
They were the 10 seed, the lowest in the tournament.
Won their first-round game, then went to the regular season champion EKU
and won in their gym on a buzzer beater.
That was a pretty amazing game.
And that just goes to show you, in ASUN madness, anybody can get hot at the right time.
UNA's men, like you said, that recipe of having the big man,
having the hot scoring at that time, good defense.
Anything can happen.
On the women's side, vying for Vistar is kind of what we're calling it right now.
Vistar is like the top four seeds are guaranteed to be in the main arena in Jacksonville for round two.
UNA still has a chance to do that.
Needs some other things to happen, I believe, but in great position.
And a win over Central Arkansas on Wednesday will be huge, so we need to pack the gym for that.
Doubleheader Wednesday starts at 545, not 6 o'clock, 545.
Then Friday, the women have West Georgia at home.
That will be a 6 o'clock tip as well on Friday night.
Baseball, softball happening as well.
Tennis this weekend.
It's madness.
It's ASUN madness.
It's crossover madness.
We don't know what day of the week it is, but we know we've got events coming up.
Let's get jumped into this show.
We've got a jam-packed show.
We've got four women's players here tonight.
Allie Alvarado, Jazzy Kling, India Howard, and Gabby Jackson.
We've got all the UNA seniors on the men's side.
Dallas Howell, Dante Bacchus, Jamal Albritton.
We're going to have a couple coaches.
Andrew Steele, top of the hour.
We'll have Tony Pujol and Candy Whitaker stop by as well.
We've got a lot to jump into, and let's get it started.
When we come back, we've got some players on the women's side
who we think could win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year,
and Freshman of the Year.
Allie Alvarado and Gabby Jackson stop by next from Lost Pizza Shoals.
We're off and running.
This is UNA Basketball Night from 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 needleing can help with sugar point and muscular pain.
In addition, we also offer genetic testing, deep tissue laser, adjustments, and more.
Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is now open Saturdays to better serve our patients.
Please visit us at burnleyciro.com.
Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.
Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan
or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options,
Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.
Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard
or give us a call at 256-648-5710.
Again, that's 256-648-5710.
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 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.
In the mood to relax and wind down?
Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers,
all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie,
and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere.
Come spend a little time with us and uncork your wine journey at the Carriage Wine & Market,
located at 121 East Mobile Street on Mobile Plaza across from the Shoals Theater.
Cheers!
Here we go.
We're off and running, tipping off this show.
We got a pair of players up here with us that we think should take home plenty of postseason honors
in the Atlantic Sun next week.
We've got Allie Alvarado, North Alabama's top scorer on the season, 13.1 points per game.
She's averaging 53s per game.
She's averaging 53s per game.
That would be remarkable.
She's hit 53s.
She also leads the A-Sun in assists in A-Sun players.
She's the only player in the A-Sun scoring over 14 points per game, pulling down over four rebounds per game,
and dishing out over four assists per game.
Pretty spectacular.
And we've got Gabby Jackson, the freshman phenom for North Alabama from Kansas City.
We expect her to be in the running for A-Sun freshman of the year, the top rebounder in the league,
7.7 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game to lead North Alabama.
Thank you both for joining us, your first seasons here at North Alabama.
And Allie, let's open up with you.
You gave us some big news.
Family in the car, coming down from Nashville.
They'll be here any minute now.
Yes, I'm excited.
I'm super excited to see everyone.
I haven't seen them in a really long time, and for them to be here for my last two games was really amazing.
When was the last time you played a game in front of them?
Oh, it was the last game of the season last year, like around this time.
So they're going to get their first taste of the bank.
They're going to get to see you for the first time in March.
Does that kind of fire you up a little bit?
Yeah, it does.
It really does fire me up.
I love to play in front of my family.
It's just going to get me going more.
Is this also their first taste of lost pizza coming up?
Yes, it will be.
Yeah, my mom was here before, but no one else, so everyone else gets to try it.
So what are you going to recommend when they get here to eat?
They already sent me what they want,
so they sent me some pizzas.
They want to try the salads here, the pasta.
Yeah, they want to try it all.
Let's go.
So it's about to be a big family reunion dinner here.
Yes, yes.
Gabby, your first year at North Alabama this season.
Just how much have you enjoyed the ride to this point?
Yeah, I've enjoyed it extremely.
Like, it's very fun.
People are fun.
Everybody's great.
Teammates are great.
People are great.
It's an awesome place to be.
Yeah, and playing all the way, coming from the Midwest to here.
The adjustment, I'm sure, has been great.
It seems like it's been seamless.
You've been in this chair a lot.
Talk about what that transition's been like coming to the Southeast.
Yeah, I think it's warmer here because in Kansas we get crazy snow at this time.
Like, it would be like snow is, like, to your kneecaps right now.
And I think that's a great change for me.
So it's good.
I love it down here.
It's great.
For both of you, I mean, this team has a chance to finish in the top four.
A lot can happen as we head into the tournament next week.
How locked in are you guys?
I mean, super locked in.
I mean, we're here to win it all.
So at the end of the day, it's just, it's my last year.
It's her freshman year.
So we're just trying to give it all.
We got.
Yeah, I mean, 100%.
You play for people that you may know that it's their last year, you know,
because you don't know what they're going to do after this.
And it's exciting to play for people that believe in you.
And I'm really locked because, just like you said, I want to win it all.
And I want to win it for my team.
So, yeah.
And a lot of the talk with the media folks around this time of year
and the outside, the fans, the community is all about, okay,
we're getting ready for the tournament.
We're gearing up for the tournament.
But for you guys, you got two big games coming up.
You got one with a team that's one game ahead of you,
one that's tied with you.
And obviously, you guys don't like to look ahead.
So what's kind of the message on how to stay focused
and how to put all of your effort into Central Arkansas
and not look too far ahead to the tournament?
I mean, I think it's something that we've said a bunch of times.
It's just like we take it one day at a time.
So it's just like right now it's focusing on the scout,
making sure that we're on point with everything
that we're supposed to be doing on the floor
and just giving all our energy and effort.
That's the biggest thing.
Yeah.
And defense gets us going 100%.
I think that's what we'll really lock in for
for these next two games and at practice
and just one step at a time and keep it going.
Let's back up a game.
You guys took down Lipscomb last time out 68-63,
and it was a battle throughout.
It always is when we play Lipscomb.
They've beaten us, I think, nine straight times
coming into this one in the all-time series.
But, Allie, first of all, for you,
foul trouble throughout that ball game.
Was it pretty frustrating early on?
Yes, I got sticky fingers, so I get a little greedy.
I want the ball too bad sometimes
and just being poised more on defense.
But, I mean, my team held it together.
It was a team win.
So at the end of the day,
it's just having our support and confidence
in other teammates.
Gabby, two things for you.
Did you know you played 40 minutes?
No, but not until I checked after.
So 40 minutes, were you gassed afterwards?
Yeah, I was gassed,
but I was also really thankful.
When you check the stat
and you see you played that long,
it's like that's really...
I just am grateful for that.
It's like you were out there that whole time.
That's really cool.
Then a double-double, 15 points, 12 rebounds.
When Allie went down in foul trouble,
did you feel the need to kind of step up?
Yeah, you got to step up
when you know your number one scorer is out the game.
But I think it wasn't just me that stepped up.
It was also some of my teammates
that also came into play with that
and I really appreciated that.
You know, Allie,
she's going to stay out of foul trouble.
She will.
It was one of those games
that just left you on the edge of your seat.
You're waiting every moment in that game
and there were a lot of big moments.
It just felt like every shot that went in
in those final two, three minutes were huge.
But obviously,
the three-pointer in the final 30 seconds.
Talk about that moment.
Walk us through that play
coming out of that timeout.
We were in the timeout.
Coach drew up a play
and we executed it.
She told me before
there was multiple times
that she felt I was open
and I didn't take some shots
and I need to be more aggressive
and I listened to her
and I felt I was open
so I shot the ball.
It wasn't the prettiest
but it went in.
The ball comes off of your fingers
in that situation.
Sometimes a shooter knows
when it's going in.
At what point did you know
that ball was going in?
Right when I saw that
it was going a little further
past the rim
and I was like,
oh, that's backboard right there.
So it didn't feel good
off the fingertips.
It felt good
but then once it was in there
I was like,
oh, it looks like it's going
to the right a little
and then it hit backboard
and I was like, eh!
Well, your reaction on the court
was an all-timer.
Yes.
It was iconic.
That's exactly right.
Well, let's back up a little bit
to the Bellarmine game
and what impressed me
about this win is
Gabby, I look at you.
13 points, 9 rebounds.
Allie, 10 points, 10 rebounds.
Got a double-double
and then you got some others.
India had 7 in that game.
Sophia had 5.
Everybody was getting
to the boards in that game.
Jazzy had 6 as well.
What was working so well
on the boards in that game?
I just think it was the way
they were playing defense
and they were in a zone
so it was easier
to be able to find the ball
without anyone really guarding us
to be able to just go
and be aggressive
and grab that ball.
Yeah.
She's like 5 feet tall
so it's a want
to go get the ball.
You know what I'm saying?
You have to want
to go get it
and we have a lot of people
that just want
to go get the ball.
She goes and gets the ball.
India will go
and get the ball.
You just have to want
to go get it
and I really love
that about our team.
What was your nickname
for Allie?
Five foot Allie?
Five footer,
five foot baller,
something like that.
We've had this conversation
multiple times
on this show.
Now I will say
there's something
we haven't asked Gabby yet.
We've asked everybody else
I believe
but we haven't had a chance
to ask you about
the pink uniforms.
Oh yes.
How do you feel about them?
I freaking love them.
I love the pink.
It's just awesome.
Like it's amazing.
I love the pink.
It is a great look indeed
and we've enjoyed
watching both of you
first years
and Allie for you
one year at North Alabama
the kind of player
everybody wishes
we had for longer, right?
How much have you enjoyed
this one season
here at North Alabama?
I've honestly loved it.
My main focus
was to be able
to come out here
and just focus on basketball
and that's exactly
what I'm doing
and having fun doing it.
And Gabby,
your first year
at North Alabama
you got a bright future
in front of you.
What's been your favorite
part this season?
My favorite part
was probably my teammates.
They're all really fun
and I love
when you get to smile
with them
on and off the court.
When you lose games
you're frustrated together
but then you go
and you go get better
at practice
and that's the best thing
about a competitive
and wanting to win team.
Last thing for me,
Allie,
this is a question
more for you.
On the defensive side
we've been doing
some research
and Coach Whitaker
talked about this
last week
about your ability
to take a charge.
It's something
that she hasn't seen
in a long time
and she said
it's got to be
at least one a game.
We did the research
and we found out
it is 1.1 per game.
She's taken 30 charges
this season
in 27 games.
So tell us
what is it like
for you to take
that many charges
to go to the floor
like that 30 times
and what goes
into a play like that
and how is that
a big part of your game?
Honestly,
I think it's just
like right place,
right time.
Most of the time
I'm just there
and I'm like,
oh,
she looks like
she's still coming at me.
I just got to brace
and just be ready to go
and I get them a lot.
I'm little
but I can sell it too.
All right, gang,
let's wrap it up
with this.
What's it going to take
to finish the season strong
and go on a little
March run?
Honestly,
just staying together,
being confident
in each other,
executing plays
and just playing
the defense
that we know how to play.
Yeah,
heavy on the staying together.
That's what's
the big part of it.
Everybody's going to be tired.
Everybody's going to want to
split apart
when things get hard
and it's going to.
Everybody wants to win
this ace and standing.
It's like all very close
but it comes down
to a team that wants
or more
and who can play
as a team the best
and depend on each other.
Well,
we'll all be there together
Wednesday,
CB&S Bank Arena,
545 against Central Arkansas.
Friday night,
six o'clock,
senior night for Allie
and our next two guests
coming up here
in just a second.
That game will tip off
at six o'clock as well
and will you two
set the stage
for our next two guests,
a pair of seniors?
Each of you pick one
and kind of tell people
who's coming up,
a little description of them.
Okay,
I'll do Jazzy.
Jazzy Kling,
me and her
are both from Kansas City.
It's pretty cool.
Jazzy is a freaking dog.
She got 10 O-boards
the other day.
I don't know
if y'all know that
but it was crazy.
Jazzy's amazing
and she's getting up
in the air
and like,
ooh,
she's manhandling
but it was crazy.
Yeah,
that's Jazzy Kling,
both from Kansas City
so it's really cool.
Did you know that
or did you have to look
at the monitor?
Did you cheat?
No.
You knew.
She's a stat head
like us.
Locked in.
And I got India.
India is the light
of everything on our team.
She's the energy.
She brings everything.
She gets us going.
She just does everything
that a captain's
supposed to do.
She is smart as heck.
Oh my gosh,
she's smart as heck.
That brain of hers
is just amazing
how it works.
But yeah,
she's a beast on the floor.
She can do a lot of things.
I love playing with her
especially being a point guard
and having that post,
that true post
is amazing.
Well friends,
we've enjoyed the ride
this year with both of you
and Ali,
I hope your parents
get here soon
and you have a great time
with them
and thank you both
for joining us.
Thank you.
Ali Alvarado,
Gabby Jackson.
Let's take a time out.
Jazzy in India,
join us 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 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.
Got wine?
Offering 10% off six or
more bottles of mix-and-match
wine and an unmatched
selection of nearly a
thousand different wines to
suit any budget, the
Carriage Wine and Market
is your one-stop wine and
craft beer destination in
the heart of downtown
Florence.
In the mood to relax and
wine down?
Indulge in our bar
service featuring fine
wines, wine cocktails, and
craft beers, all paired
perfectly with house-made
small bites and
charcuterie and served
with a smile in our
cozy living room style
atmosphere.
Come spend a little time
with us and uncork your
wine journey at the
Carriage Wine and Market
located at 121 East
Mobile Street on Mobile
Plaza across from the
Shoals Theater.
Cheers!
If I could have
everybody's attention
please in Lost Pizza.
We have a special
announcement to make.
this show started last
year and it's the
brainchild of Chuck over
here and Chuck with
Lost Pizza.
It's his birthday.
His 21st birthday.
Round of applause for
Chuck and Mike wants to
lead a singing of happy
birthday for Chuck with
everybody in the
restaurant.
You know I don't know
if the radio wants to
hear this.
I don't want Greg to
lose his viewers so I'm
going to lift the mic and
I'll let everybody else
lead this song but let's
sing happy birthday to
Chuck.
I think he's earned
it.
One, two, three.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear Chuck.
Happy birthday to you.
Hey basketball has been
booming in the bank and
there's no doubt Chuck lost
pizza this show has been a
large part of that
community feel so Chuck we
appreciate you in the show.
Happy birthday sir.
Our next two guests.
Excuse me.
I got a little choked up
there.
We got a pair of seniors
here not choked up because
of Chuck I swallowed
something.
We got India Howard Jesse
clicking with us two seniors
getting set for their final
round with North Alabama.
We appreciate both of you
joining us India three years
senior year.
Where is the time gone?
I know it feels like I just got
here.
You're three years here at
North Alabama.
What's been some of the
highlights for you?
My sophomore year at Austin
Peay.
Yes.
That buzzer beater was
definitely a highlight.
This year hitting a three is
also a highlight.
Was that against
Bellarmine?
It was Queens.
Queens.
I knew it was during that
long road trip.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
That was the start off our
road trip.
Just the different people
that's come in here and the
friendships I've made for
life.
Let's go back to that buzzer
beater because I remember
like it was yesterday.
Right place right time up at
F&M Bank Arena against
Austin Peay was our first time
up there.
What do you remember about
that play?
I remember just kind of
watching like what are my
teammates going to do?
What's going to happen?
You know and then seeing the
ball in the air and going I
practiced this shot a lot of
times and just getting up
there.
I don't even remember looking
at the goal per se tipping
it in.
I just remember like the play
had to be made and once it
went in I knew it cleared the
buzzer.
I mean it was just the whole
team rushing on the floor.
It was great.
Jazzy talk about your
experience a little bit as
you go into your senior year
and everything and coming in
from the Midwest kind of like
Gabby did this year but you've
been here and kind of one of
those day one Candy Whitaker
products that's here now.
Talk about your experience at
North Alabama since you've been
here.
Yeah I mean Coach Whitaker
definitely likes hard workers,
big motors, stuff like that,
rebounders and that's kind of
become my identity especially in
college rebounding and I've
definitely fallen into that
especially as I've gotten
here.
Yeah I don't know just like
kind of some of the games that
India mentioned and also like
Central Arc last year and even
FGCU like I didn't realize that
we hadn't beat FGCU since like
2020 or whatever it was and so
being able to do stuff like that
with a close team is just really
good memories to make especially
on your last year.
For both of you and Jazzy you
can start.
Why North Alabama?
Take us back to the recruiting
process.
Honestly I don't remember a ton of
it but I do remember that I loved
the facilities here.
Some of the especially like the
gym had just it's still fairly
new or newer or whatever they had
done to it and then I knew that
actually I can tell you one thing
that I remembered.
Coach Whitaker something about
her that really stood out was
when I was on my visit I really
noticed that Coach Whitaker
doesn't mess around about her
players like if her players need
something she's going to get it
done and there's just I really
like someone who is a big advocate
for their players and will really
stand up for them and I feel like
that is something that Coach
Whitaker is very good at doing.
So you were probably one of her
first signings were you maybe the
first I maybe because actually now
that you say that my visit was
their first day here and so we're
driving around Coach Whitaker was
like did we come from this way or
but I was like I don't know this is
my first day so we were kind of
here yeah we were definitely
learning the streets together so.
India you hit the portal why UNA?
You know when they first called me I
saw Alabama and I was like I don't
know any people in Alabama and I've
been to a lot of states I travel kind
of frequently and I was like I've
never been to Alabama you know I have
family in many places not Alabama so
at first I was like I don't know then
talking to the coaching staff at the
time they came in they were like oh
just come on a visit check us out and
I mean I was like okay yeah I'm open
to it I'm you know let's see what
they have they had a good
engineering program that was a big
factor for me and then truthfully
she took me to a lot of good food
places around town and I think she
knew that food is the way to my
heart that's pretty consistent to this
day and it's a nice small town it was
a good change of pace I like all the
locals and the homey feeling and just
like the Alabama hospitality that's
here I came from big cities Charlotte
North Carolina and Dallas Texas so a lot
of people big crowds a lot of chains
but seeing these places like even like
lost pizza I mean it's just it was a
nice small town good change of pace
taking a stroll down our downtown here
was nice so I just was ready for that
change I like the academic program and I
had faith in the basketball and I'm
glad I chose it and it's awesome to see
that basketball is ultimately what
brought you guys here in the first
place but now you're in green in this
community and even if you go back to
Texas go back to the Midwest and Kansas
and Missouri and you guys will come
back here and you're always part of
this and that's what's special and you
see so many people that kind of come
from different places and then they
relocate here or they frequently come
back and are part of these events and
that's really special for me to see but
let's go back to the court a little
bit let's talk about that Lipscomb
game there were some big moments and
Jazzy I'll start with you we talked
about Ali's three but you actually had a
go-ahead free throw you had one that
kind of ice the game there at the end
some big moments talk about those
final two minutes coming out of some
of those timeouts and what went into
that win so actually that last free
throw that I shot I was supposed to
call timeout when I got the ball so I
was very glad at least one of them
went in and actually I was trying to
get away from the defense and just get
across the court and I had completely
forgot that we were supposed to call
timeout so there's that but it kind
of worked out that we wasted a little
bit of time got another point and
extended it but extended the lead but
yeah the last two minutes honestly
usually my adrenaline is going pretty
high in moments like those but I feel
like against I feel like in that game
it wasn't it was definitely it felt
everything just felt more poised I feel
like we kind of just were very
confident in those moments and so that's
kind of reassuring when you're playing
for either one of you I mean how well
do you feel like this team is playing
as we head into the final stretch into
the postseason tournament next week
very well very consistent we we tend to
make every game interesting doesn't
matter who we're playing against like
even our most recent game Lipscomb I
never had any doubt that we'd come out
on top of that game and you know I
know it'd be you know a bank three from
very deep that put us up but I knew
our team was going to make the right
plays we have players who are willing
to go make plays on both ends of the
floor like we have some people who are
I mean key defensive players and
sometimes key offense and good bit of
both at that so you know proud that
we've been growing getting better and
that every like adversity that we've
hit we've overcame and just kept
going and we've gotten closer I want to
go back to the Bellarmine game just
for a little bit and I know it seems
like it was forever ago because we
had the big Lipscomb game we got two
that were focused on ahead but but just
going back the rebound advantage 48 to
26 and I think Allie was the one that
talked about how the zone may have
played an impact into that how we just
swarmed the ball got to it you had
seven rebounds India Jazzy you had six
and I'm just seeing it's rare that you
see five players that have five or more
rebounds in a game it's just really
impressive what we did what was
working for all of us in that game
starting with you India I think so that
game was a lot of focusing on
ourselves getting better tightening
things up and if we had made a
defensive lapse and maybe they got a
shot up that maybe they shouldn't have
gotten up we were sure we're gonna get
the rebound at least like hey no the
possessions over we're not gonna play
this game of them getting offensive
board and keeping alive and same when
we're on offense we were either taking
shots that maybe we're a little more
out of control or rushed or not the
shot we wanted I mean really is gonna
fight and get that rebound and keep
going like working ourselves getting
better and we had the ability to
rebound over them and so utilizing that
going at it honestly just building off of
the working on ourselves and focusing on
ourselves we honestly have some strong
rebounders on our team and I don't feel
like it's always shown every game and so
kind of going back to basics like hey
little reminder that some of you are way
more capable than some of the numbers
that you've been getting so like pound the
glass get everything you can offense
defense everything like that I mean even
we have a lot of times where one person
can't necessarily get the rebound but
we'll tip it out and we have all five of
us crashing and our chances are pretty
good when you have everyone on your team
ready to rebound and so I think that when
you have games like that it really helps
your team like focus back on maybe some
things that you have kind of let go a
little bit so yeah well friends it's been
a lot of fun chatting with you let's
talk about this we got a big one Wednesday
night we want a good crowd at the bank
Friday night senior night last times at
the bank who's coming down who are you
excited to get down here for your senior
moments
um well I have my mom my dad and my
stepdad and then a few extended family
members and actually my dad is bringing
my dog that I got last year so I'm really
excited about that he's driving 10 hours
in the car with my dog and he actually is a
great road trip dog so I'm not worried at
all but yeah I'm really excited to have
him back here to see have some of my
family members back here and just enjoy
playing my last home game what kind of
dog he's a mutt I honestly I got him for
free and um tractor supply in a shopping
car and so I just like kind of adopted
him but yeah yeah he was like a golden
doodle at first yeah they told me there's
golden doodle and he's definitely not
anywhere close to a golden doodle
um this game I have my mom and dad coming
up my siblings can't make it they both
play sports and so they're in their
seasons my sister's overseas and brother
in college so um just my parents coming
up and I'm glad they are haven't seen
them um as frequently as as I'd like to
in playing ball so I'm glad they'll be
here for my last time home game and um I
believe they're coming up to the
tournament too so and Indy I have one
last question for you last time we had
you on you were dealing with imaginary
numbers what's your tough homework
assignment right now honestly um catching
up catching up yeah you guys have been
on the road on the road for a long time
and all my classes are in person um in
person and all the lectures are none of
them are recorded so a lot of office
hours and late night studying with my
partners trying to get me uh caught up
for our tests and midterms well friends
enjoy enjoy the ride we'll be down in
Florida with you next week and best of
luck thank you that's India Howard and
Jazzy Kling we'll take a time out we're
going five wide when we come back we got
a couple more special guests in the
house this is you and a 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
imagine a bank where you feel at home real
people living right here in your community are
the heart of bank independent and everything
we do you have our commitment to bring the
people ideas and resources together that
create a stronger community full of endless
potential for over 75 years we've served
this place we all call home bank independent
we're invested in you member fdic hey
guys how long have you been wearing those
out-of-date scratched up glasses this is
dr ham Moore with renaissance eye care go
ahead and do as the woman in your life has
been asking and schedule an eye exam you
can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call
767-5000 to see either dr kathy warner
dr lisa campbell or myself everyone
notes 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
drink drinks and host amazing events try our golden manor leo's roar and 50% goes to una athletics support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere
don't miss out on the good times come
and savor the taste of singing river brewery got wine offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix and match
match wine and unmatched selection of nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget the carriage wine and 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 serve 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 and market located at 121 east mobile street on
mobile plaza across from the shoals theater cheers cheers cheers cheers cheers
they're excited to be here we need a bigger table here we're stretched it out wide we're going five on five right here we need five more people it's me benjamin ray mike ezekiel we got dante bakas jamal albert and dallas howell the seniors that north alabama will be honoring on wednesday night thank you all for joining us and guys senior day where does the time go dallas will start with you six years at north alabama man what about this ride it's it's been a ride for
sure and i mean you said it where did it go it's been a long time for me here but it also feels like i just got here yesterday so it's it's going to be surreal you know i've played i don't know probably 60 games in cbs bank but this one right here is going to be a lot different than the rest of them just a different feeling so looking forward to that and going to try and get out with a win yeah and jamal kind of a similar story for you you've been here three years and you know dallas had the injury last year that kind of brought him back kind of the same with you kind of had to overcome some things but here at una you've kind of made a home here talk about your time
at una and how special it is to be a senior on this team uh my time at una has been pretty good um i still thank um tony pulo for giving me a chance from wallace selma uh my season there was pretty good then i came here hoping to bounce in that i had good mentors as dame owen and still trying to get better at the all game but una as itself has been like another home to me basically
dante two quick years for you man you've had an instant impact here at north alabama what have these
two years meant to you it it meant a lot like i say it definitely went by fast i was just telling dallas when
was um sitting over here it just felt like i just got on campus but i definitely enjoyed my time here just
like jamal said i was able to meet some great people and play with some great people like tayfield dallas these
guys right here will see some people who really just basically passed me the rope and stuff so i'm just
grateful that i was able to come to a place like this now the cool part is we have three seniors sitting
with us tonight but we're actually honoring four i don't know if you knew that chase hawkins our our
basketball manager and uh anybody that knows chase or knows about his story uh he's been with the
program for five years uh you go to a lot of the practices he's running up and down the court he's
making sure everybody has their towels making sure the floor is clean chase just does so much for
this program can all three of you kind of just talk about chase oh yeah chase he wanted the hardest
work because i've seen like i say any sweat spot any ball you can see like you say sprint across the
court man i love his energy and it really just affects us too we feed off of that too see how hard he
working so i love my guy chase uh same one don't say chase is a character man anything he does
says you just gotta pay attention to him have a conversation with him he's a great talker he really
helps everything he's great man you know whatever chase does it's gonna be a hundred percent you know
he came in trying to innovate how the managers work he's got the towels clipped onto his waistband
so he can rip them off and hand it to people i mean it's just i i love being around anybody that'll do
whatever they do with a hundred percent and he's one of those people so it's great to have him around
the program i come to shoot around at every game and i set up during shoot around watch you guys and
the first time i was at a shoot around with him i'm setting up and he's running as hard as he can
back behind me and i thought i gotta get out of this guy's way i'm about to trip him or something but
you know for for we'll do the same thing we go we can go this way this time but favorite moments at
north alabama um i'd have to say mine right now is probably the the regular season the game to
clinch the regular season championship last year and getting to experience that with the people that
were there supporting and the team after that how often do you think back to that moment pretty often
as often as i as often as i walk in there and look at everything and see the banners up there that's
i give it a thought every time uh same with that was cutting those in this that was probably the best
thing i've ever had home in college um also like even if i didn't play i was still able to support my
brothers and keep on keep supporting them to this day not trying to copy them but like i said that uh
that queen's game last year that this you know i'm saying we're the regular season champion that was
a special moment i always you know i'm saying think about sometimes i even go back look at the
pictures of me laying down the confetti at the game man so definitely that moment for sure you might
have the best photos from that you were very photogenic during all that yeah like i said i know
i had won some rings at snee but just winning it here with you know i'm saying with the team we had
last year i was just really embracing it taking it all in so like they see me laid out on the floor
playing the confetti throwing it up so really just enjoyed the moment hey is that three straight years
of rings for you from there to here yes sir three straight rings wow yeah so man that's that's a lot
of winning and you know it's funny as you were talking about it that was actually going to be my next
point i was going to talk about how legendary that photo is if you lay it on the court with the
confetti around you it was special it was a no-brainer to use that as the headline of our story for
that but um i want to go back down the line uh and talk about uh what makes this so special our fans
our community cbns bank arena one of the best environments in mid-major basketball uh starting
with you dante and going back down just talk about how valuable these fans and this community support is
here at una man it is very valuable just like i said every game that's coming out and just seeing
the community you know i'm saying looking up top people down low everybody just cheering for us you
know i'm saying supporting us win loss or draw that is always there and even like i said coach uh tp says
the main thing even games that we lost the community is so supportive of us they just wait around giving
us high fives and they truly mean a lot more than people think for them just have that support for us
uh same thing what dante said when coach tp has said it's the culture he had built so
everybody who came to the game they stayed no matter what because at first it wasn't like that then we
get the um teams before us had to build that so i really appreciate everybody who comes out to our
games every time yeah going off what these guys said i mean you know i've i've seen the the gym
empty from covid nothing but cardboard cutouts and then seeing it like this it's it's a feeling that
you're not going to get in many other places in the entire country and i try me and tp try and tell the
the guys every chance we get they're like hey this is special it's what's built and now we gotta we
gotta reward that we gotta show them that we really appreciate their support and tell them every chance
we get and it's it really changes how you play out there when you got that much support behind you
let's just keep going down the line so we've got two regular season games left right and then we're
gonna have to win four in the tournament i think guys how poised and ready is this team to make a run
in march you guys have done it before absolutely so ready and we've we've seen you know seen teams
that have done it and we think we're a team that can do it regardless of how our our games are going
this year we still have full confidence our ability to do that we're really really important for us to
get some momentum from these first two here to go into the tournament and win those four so
uh saying we've studied the film we've learned pretty much all the teams that we play even if we
played them once or twice we basically understand what they're going to do so basically we're just trying
to build off of what we learned from them and finally execute the games that we had lost
uh yeah i feel i feel great going into um the tournament in jacksonville so i know we're gonna
have some uh key people coming back that's really gonna help us you know i'm saying get that depth
back and like jamal and uh dallas there's nobody in this league that we can't compete with we showed
it many times you know i'm saying i know the record doesn't show it but we still have a really great
team and like i said i thought we're definitely gonna shock some people that still down us out there
and we're gonna make it running march i feel confident about that fellas for each of you dallas
six years maul three years dante two years it's been so much fun watching all three of you play
we appreciate everything you've done at una and we know that you're not done so guys enjoy the ride
thanks for joining us here tonight yes sir thank you all that's dallas howell jamal albert and dante
bacchus we're going to shrink our set down and we're going to talk with north alabama assistant coach
andrew steel when we come back 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 spondus for 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 and
eight eight five florence boulevard or give us a call at two five six six four eight five seven one zero
again that's two five six six four eight five seven one zero
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 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 manor leo's roar and 50 goes to una athletics support your local business and college
community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere
don't miss out on the good times come sip socialize and savor the taste of singing river
brewery got wine offering 10 off six or more bottles of mix and match wine and an unmatched selection of
nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget the carriage wine and 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 and market
located at 121 east mobile street on mobile plaza across from the shoals theater cheers
here we go we've shrunk down our set just a little bit we went from five people to three people we
welcome in north alabama assistant coach andrew steel his first season here at north alabama i'm
that's mike ezekiel this is una basketball night from lost pizza shoals in historic downtown florence
andrew steel first season at north alabama let's start with this tony bull calls you to come join his
staff how long did it take you to say yes um it was a really easy call um i just had to kind of make
sure to run it through my wife we um she had a loss in her family that we were dealing with but
outside of that it was uh probably the easiest decision i've made as a coach and so um to be
able to come here with coach pool i've known him over half my life and it's been one of the best
relationships that's always helped me on and off the court so um i was happy to be on the winning
side i was at tech and we got blown out at flowers the flowers hall twice so i was happy to be on the
right side of it but it was um definitely an answer prayer for sure well yeah obviously reuniting
with coach pool was a no-brainer but joining the shows community being part of uh what's going on
here in florence uh how has that adjustment been for you and what do you think of this community
it has been awesome there hasn't been a bad day the people of the community have been so nice and so
welcome and not only me but my family as well and um it's a really good place to to raise a family
the support that i've seen for the school has been second to none and you know even as we've gone
through our struggles this year the the fan support hasn't wavered in any one bit and so i can see
why this is a special place everybody who i talk to about una about the shows they all said the same
thing and so um we've lived it every day so it's been a lot of fun being here for sure now if you
follow basketball in the state of alabama and you heard the name andrew still you're probably thinking
that name sounds so familiar but you and your brother both great high school players great careers
at the university of alabama man take us through your upbringing with basketball and what it's meant to
kind of you and your brother just being in state it's um well my mom graduated from alabama so if
you go back and look at all of our baby pictures it was there from the beginning so we really didn't
have a good we didn't have a choice and thankfully it was a smart choice you know some people like the
other school but we don't hold that against them but i think the funny thing is we both grew up
playing football longer than basketball which makes sense in alabama but um when you got a chance to
stay in home and stay with close to family and um going to the university of alabama was the best
decision i probably made obviously i met my wife there i had a chance to play with my brother for the
first and only time my family was able to come to pretty much all the games and then you know even
though coach pool hole and the staff didn't recruit me that was where that first connection was made
so if i go back and trace you know all the positive things that happened a lot of them center around that
decision so i'll preface my question with this you're about as humble as they come i've been around
you you're very down to earth and humble about it but uh there's been a lot of fans that have said hey
i want to meet andrew still you know because they grew up in that time era that you played in they
they watched you play whether they were younger whether they were older following that alabama program
uh but what does it mean to you even though from a humble standpoint just knowing that people recognize
you and know who you are and uh that you've built a legacy and that there is a steel basketball legacy
that you've kind of brought with you here it is a good feeling you know um i think when you're an
athlete you're always kind of looked up to as a role model and so to know that you know i was able to
hopefully affect people in a positive way and that they still remember it you know it makes you feel
good and so that's um that's the beauty of what you want to do especially with how college athletics
has changed so much where you know guys move around to kind of be able to have a place you can call home
and i'm sure you know a kid like dallas howell who is the only kid in america that's been in college
six years has been in one place so i gotta imagine he's gonna have that same kind of impact so it's um
it's always good when people can remember you for good things eight seasons tony pull hole has been
here i've been lucky enough to work with him all eight amont smith's been here all eight years and
he's always had great coaches i've always enjoyed spending time with those coaches and with
success we've said goodbye to a lot who have moved on and he's always replaced them with
great people as well take us through this coaching staff the relationship you all have and how much
you all enjoy working together they're they're all unbelievable people and um again if you know
coach pull hole that's that's not a surprise when you know the kind of man and the person he is
it's natural that he will surround himself with people like that and you know i've had relationships
with guys in the past like willie watson tom barryman and so those kind of connections help
but i've always felt like i've known these guys kind of from afar because again that's me and coach
pull hole's relationship so especially during the championship run last year you know i was watching
every game i could i was keeping up what's going on so by default you know you'd be out recruiting or at
games you would meet some of the guys from the staff and so just getting to know them is no surprise and
they've welcomed me with open arms from day one and i've been at enough schools and places i've heard
enough stories you do not get that everywhere and so it's when you find that you know you want to
stick to it and you want to seek that out so like i said it all goes back to coach pull hole you know
the kind of man and person he is the people he surrounded himself is not a surprise at all
well the very first thing he said about you uh when we just asked like okay tell us about
andrew steel he said he's a relentless recruiter and he's a great relationship builder and that was
part of what went in that quote in that first press release and uh you obviously you've built
relationships with these guys and uh we're at a big point in the season where we're getting ready
for the final two games the the conference tournament coming up you've been in that role before where you've
had to go through that stretch what's kind of your advice to the players right now that you're mentoring
as you've been in that role trying to stay focused on what's at hand and not look too far ahead well
first off coach pull hole was a nice guy he left out all the bad stuff and the headaches i probably
caused in tuscaloosa so i appreciate him for that but um in these guys situation you know this is what
you want to play for right you want to have a chance to make a run in march madness and obviously with
the adversity we've gone through you can go back and look at every game and you can point to a
stretch you know whether it's 20 minutes 30 minutes however long we know we're good enough
to be able to compete with anybody in our league it's just a matter of putting it together but what's
been special about these guys is not one day have they quit or given up and you know in this day and
age where everybody wants something so quick you know you don't get it you can move on to the next
it's really refreshing as a coach you know every single day we know exactly what we're going to get
with these guys and it's really a life lesson to teach them you know you're going to go deal with
some kind of adversity about how you fight through it and get to the other side of it and so i'm so
excited for this stretch run because again we're confident knowing that we can do it if we just put
it together and have some things bounce our way so i'm really really excited to see how these guys
finish coach still we've really enjoyed chatting willie we love having you here at the university of
north alabama calling you a lion last thing for you you got to introduce us to your wife and young
son over here awesome so over in the purple is my beautiful wife britney the athlete of the family
and then that's our almost five-year-old kate which anybody's been around and you know this is
the only time he's not acting crazy if he's eating or sleeping but um again we uh we've loved it here
everybody's been so welcoming and so we're definitely happy to be lined we're glad you're here sir and best
of luck during this run awesome thank y'all that's andrew steel north alabama assistant coach we'll take a
time out when we come back north alabama head coach tony pujol joins us 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
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 hamper more with renaissance eye care go ahead and do as the woman in your life has
been asking and schedule an eye exam you can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see
either dr kathy warner dr lisa campbell or myself everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of
your eyes and get a new pair of glasses we can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall
and roar lines join us at singing river brewery your local hub for great beer and community fun
ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events
try our golden manor leo's roar and 50 goes to una athletics support your local business and
college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere
don't miss out on the good times come sip socialize and savor the taste of singing river brewery
got wine offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix and match wine and an unmatched selection of
nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget the carriage wine and 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 and market
located at 121 east mobile street on mobile plaza across from the shoals theater cheers
are we ready we are back with you from los pizza shoals in historic downtown florence this is una basketball night
i'm benjamin ray alongside mike ezekiel and we've been having a lot of fun chatting with all of our
players senior nights coming up final weeks of the season we're gonna catch up with candy whittaker
next but right now we've got north alabama head coach tony poolhole in the house and coach gosh i feel
like we talked all summer how excited we were for the season it got here in november we made it to
december took a took a breath conference play started this show started here we are it's the the a sun
madness run coming up i mean how much of a is every season this much of a blur no no doubt i mean
we tell our guys all the time you blink and you're you're playing in the tournament and you know this
this year has flown by you know and uh we're just again very thankful for the way these guys come in
every day and prepare and and uh our staff the way they they put in the in the work to make sure that
these guys get prepared for for the game at hand but absolutely man it's it's it's amazing this is
we're about to complete our eighth season here just seems like yesterday i was staying over at the
at the residence in marriott getting ready to meet president kits and
meet everybody here after after um you know getting ready for the press conference eight years ago which is amazing
it's amazing that we felt like this season's flown by but also
you saying that puts it into perspective how the years fly by sometimes but
coming up on a decade but but coach you've had a lot of senior classes over that time and you've got three special guys here
and i want to talk about another senior we're going to honor as well and they all talked about chase a little bit our student manager
been with you for five years he's been a tremendous part of the program just all he does behind the scenes talk about chase a little bit
you know chase uh to me one of the best managers in the country i mean that guy is a i mean from practices uh to to even games uh he is like on top of it whenever we give him an assignment uh you can expect it and and not only that one of the things that really impressed me about the first time i met chase
uh we were having 6 a.m workouts uh we were having 6 a.m workouts uh during the summertime and um i remember
meeting with him the day before we're about to have our first practice and he said uh coach practice at 6 a.m
i said yeah he goes okay i'll be here at 4 45 i was like wow okay uh i'm not but you can and um
you know uh it just goes to show you his dedication he's he's fantastic and just just a one of the by far one of the best managers i've ever been around
you know you have had a quiet line of great managers since you got here day one but also that is something you had to build up as well and i believe ahmad smith played a key role in that
huge huge uh obviously recruiting managers is one of the is is is a task especially the way that we operate
you know uh i i know ahmad spiel to the to the to the managers is hey make sure you're invisible around coach he doesn't need to be noticing you guys
uh but you got to get your work done and i'll tell you chase is is that chase is always he's always he's on top of everything and i don't even know
sometimes i don't even notice him around he's a blur he just goes back and forth you can't even see him
i was gonna say he's a blur but sometimes you can't help but notice him from how hard he's working
there's no question about it i mean that that's the thing about him is you know the ball the ball goes from
one side of the court to the other let's say in live action and i look back and there's
chase on the ground you know with a towel or he's he's he's you know the guys are playing uh five on
five and if the ball's on one side of the floor he's over there as soon as they start heading the
other way he's sprinting down the court getting ready on that side to see if he if they need help so
he's fantastic he's he's definitely going to be missed after this year it's really good to see chase
getting his flowers and he'll be honored tomorrow night 7 45 tip off right before the game
uh tomorrow night uh but we also have the three seniors here and one of them has been here six
years uh probably i guess longer than anybody that you've had uh that you've coached at una dallas
howell uh talk about his impact on this program i mean well the first thing about it is in today's
world of the transfer portal you know to have a to have a young man um you know be be the only player
in america right now that is that is a six-year player to only be at one school uh that that just
goes to show you his dedication to this place he he'll tell you that this has been a great experience
for him uh hands down one of the one of the best places he's ever been uh and and we've been blessed
to to have somebody of his caliber uh in our program because there's no question in my mind he's a culture
guy for us uh he's one of the pillars of of the successes that this program has had he's definitely
he's definitely etched himself in the history definitely part of the solid foundation uh that
we're a part of you know last year we talked about how will sucey had been with you for what five out
of seven years dallas howell has been with you for six out of eight years in north alabama i mean how
wild is that it's insane and um you know to me i i couldn't ask for two better men um to to be a part
of the program because not only have they been great stewards of the game uh they're also just good
human beings and they and they they are they are an extension of our staff on the court both of them
have been able to do that and i can tell you right now wherever he goes whatever he does he's going to
be extremely successful because his work ethic his his relationship building abilities are going to
take him a long way no doubt that the kind of players that you will always roll out the purple
carpet for when they return to camp 100 100 and coach i look at all three of these guys coffee springs
alabama is where dallas is from then you got jamal he's from montgomery you got dante he's from
homewood uh really good in-state basketball but talk about those two guys and uh obviously a lot
a lot of success from the the juco level and now coming to una combined five years for those two
talk about dante and yeah i mean i saw jamal play in high school um before he went juco uh got to see
him play there he used to work goggles back in the days so i'm sure he you can bring that up to him but
he wore goggles back in the days and um very athletic extremely athletic um and and just uh he just
played very very hard on the court for them and then obviously um you know with dante dante's success at
homewood um it's fun to hear um the battle between him and coach steel coach steel and him are constantly
going back and forth about who who you know you know what type of player was coach steel when he was
in high school and you know how they used to you know john carroll used to beat the heck out of
homewood and it just goes back and forth doesn't stop but had an unbelievable career at homewood and
then went to sneed state and you know just just impacted sneed state the right way obviously winning
program so really really um you know just just very thankful to be coaching those two guys
coach uh big run coming up right and last time the asun tournament was in jacksonville we made it to
the championship game you every other year though we have been campus sites traveling around you were
part of the committee that kind of explored this change for the asun which has been doing campus
sites for i mean a long time probably 20 plus seasons take us through what that is like for you
in the conference decision to move to this host site yeah i think i think whenever whenever you have
um a neutral site whenever you can play in a in a neutral environment
it lends to the student athlete experience
the positive of the home site of the of the of playing at a school is if you're the home team
you know you you'll probably get more support but to the team that's visiting it's just another
it's like another away game right uh the reality is once our asun tournament is over
whoever wins is going to go to a neutral site to play in the same environment that they just played in
um and the one thing i could tell you i think it it falls back to what's the best what's best for the
and for all the teams male and female to go to one venue and play in one spot i think that creates more
of um um i think it just creates more of an environment for them to just enjoy right um the one thing that people don't realize is our tournament was played you play one game on a wednesday the next game would be on a friday
well think about it you just played wednesday and then we would realign all our all our seatings
you had no idea where you were going to go next so you had one day to prepare where you're going to go next
you don't have that now everybody just goes to one spot what's the positive of that think about it alumni
they can now set times at the end of the year where people can just show up in one place
families now don't have to worry about getting on a flight from fort myers to central arkansas and conway
um arkansas because you know they don't they don't have to spend over a thousand dollars to get to that game
they can all set now a time in the calendar and say you know what at the end of the year we're going to
spend five days in jacksonville florida we're going to go see our team play and go support them down there
and then from a school standpoint alumni is president the president of the university can have you know
can have guests come down there um you have fans that can now go down there and support their team
in one venue and the last thing is with the weather we have now i don't know if you've been at florida
lately but right now it's like 70 degrees and nice right um who wouldn't want to be in florida in march
so i just think there were too many positives to to going into uh into a neutral site and and it really
i think it worked it's going to work out really well we're looking forward to it coach you've got
wednesday night inside the bank after the women's game about 7 45 you guys will take on bellarman
saturday on the road at west georgia then the push for march madness with the asun tournament next
week coach we can't wait for this ride as always we appreciate you joining us all season long how great
has it been as always and a special shout out to chuck and greg thornton and ike and everybody
yeah let's make sure we we i know we already sang happy birthday but today is obviously chuck's
birthday 21 again yeah all all over again right uh but but no unbelievable the way that um you know
ike fowler and chuck have put all this together this is this has been great uh for everybody i know
i know candy will probably say the same thing that when you have folks in our community that
they're all about experiencing the they're they want the fan experience right no matter what how the team's
doing they are here to experience with these young people uh the everything about the the uh you know
the games and all that stuff so very thankful for them for putting all this together coach we're
thankful for you we appreciate you joining us all season long you got it roar lions roar lions that's
north alabama head coach tony pool when we come back candy whitaker joins us and we wrap up the final
edition of una basketball night from lost pizza shoals this is una basketball night roll 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
a plan that fits your needs our local agents make it simple so stop by our office at 885 lawrence
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 renaissance
eyecare.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 hosting amazing events
try our golden manor leo's roar and 50 goes to una athletics support your local business and
college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere
don't miss out on the good times come sip socialize and savor the taste of singing river brewery
got wine offering 10 off six or more bottles of mix and match wine and an unmatched selection of
nearly a thousand different wines to suit any budget the carriage wine and 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 and market
located at 121 east mobile street on mobile plaza across from the shoals theater cheers
man it's the final segment of the final edition of this season of una basketball night from lost pizza
shoals on 93.9 the score benjamin ray mikey zq we're happy to welcome in second year head coach
candy whitaker and coach uh for for you for a mom your family everybody's been kind of following you
around right going to all of your games this season tonight you kind of changed it up and you were at a
game tonight i was i try to um if i'm in town i certainly try not to miss things so um williams are
hooper so we're we're busy this time of year with his basketball and you have been busy on the road
finally back at home final three at home uh two more tomorrow night and then friday night but this team
sitting right now with a 10 and 6 record games against central arkansas and west georgia i know
you you don't like playing the game that mike and i like to play where you look at all the scenarios but
you can finish anywhere for from fourth to middle of the pack but i just want to ask you what about
the position this team has put itself in with all the adversity they've had to overcome you know i just
can't say enough about them i mean i i feel like the the season's been a great season at you start the
year and every team's different and you know every journey is going to be different you don't know what
it entails and obviously we didn't know it was going to entail um the adversity to this extent but for our
kids to battle through and really continue to get better and find ways to win um and step up and take on new
roles um i just thought you know it's just been a ton of fun to coach them um because of their ability to handle
things you know ben and i kind of talk about this and i know as coaches as as players you don't really focus as
much on the outside of what others are doing but uh big shake up tonight in the standings is uh queens
defeated west georgia that was a team we were tied with and uh ben and i kind of joked about this
yesterday going through all this like what's our odds at a top four seed and those four will get to go to
vice star for the second round so we're saying we're vying for vice star right now so uh trying to pack the
bank uh but two huge games uh i mainly just want to ask you how big is it to have those two at home with
those opponents well it's huge and we need um we need everyone to come out because it does make a huge
difference i think our kids are a lot of fun to watch they play with a lot of energy they're super
competitive um and these two are are huge you know every game's been important and we knew it would be
and obviously you look back and you think you know can i can i get the bellarman or not the bellarman
the eku game and the um stetson game back here but but you are where you are and we've done a great job
with where we're at but you have two huge opportunities left um to go move the needle and
um and we know that they're both great teams they're going to be great competition and we have to play for
40 minutes and have to play well you look at the the last time out coach ali alvarado has been on such
a tear and i think we jinxed her she got in early foul trouble but then gabby jackson steps up katie
chriswell sophia chipolati was so good uh vinla comes off the bench knocks down three threes in the
first half i mean this team it feels like everybody's really balled into what their role is
you know i've said this a couple of times but it really is true when i reflect on this team and i i
think about them a lot they there's just this confidence in one another you know everyone's
confident that ali's going to go make plays but i know ali is confident that katie and sophia are going
to make plays and then they're confident that gabby's going to step up and make plays and they they just
know their role and they know they all have to do it and they all have all have to partake we're not
going to just rely on ali to drop 40 right we're all going to do our part and um it could be anyone's
night but um there's no question i think ali has been the catalyst in this turn um you know she stepped
in when people got injured and she stepped into a um a complete leadership role of like hey i'm gonna i
can put them on my back and i can go compete um it doesn't always look like scoring points i mean
she makes plays all the time everywhere and everyone follows her um but certainly i think she has set the
tone um and we've just had everyone step up and make plays couldn't be more proud of them i think
individually um they've all really tried to maximize themselves um and collectively we're so much better
because of it coach to your point the final three minutes of that lipscomb game that was some of the
most entertaining basketball that we've seen and just on the edge of your seat and you you highlighted
it a lot of different players stepped up katie had some shots there at the end uh india had a big
defensive play but i want to go back to the big three-pointer by ali to make it a four-point game with
about 30 seconds to go i believe we call a timeout right there what went into i guess during that
timeout what was said and what what came out after that yeah i just you know i was kind of letting
on play and kind of watching it didn't really like where it was headed so we um were fortunate to get
a timeout before i felt like we were going to turn it over and um and had had drawn up a baseline out
earlier in the game um that they had executed and i liked what we had got so we went to it again
knowing we could get ali off of a stagger um you know i planned on her to get downhill but she took
the three um which was more than okay and um and it went in so you know just trying to put ali in
positions to make decisions and um and make plays i think she's someone that'll step up and you
mentioned katie i mean katie's jump shot a couple possessions before that was huge and i was so super
proud of katie because um she wasn't hot in the first half but she didn't shy away from from being
aggressive and taking shots i thought um she she's just so you know tremendous toughness in that game as
well coach second season for you last year eight and ten and a son play 13 and 17 overall with two
regular season games left this year 10 and 6 15 and 12 overall and you've got a young freshman
excited about gabby jackson sophia chipolati a sophomore right you've had great recruiting classes
of veterans the last handful of years i mean what kind of foundation do you think has been laid through
these first two years and how excited are you for what you guys are building here in florin well we're
so excited i mean i you know i think um you know when you look at last year's team to this year team
i think our defense is tremendously better and we wanted to work at that um i think you know it takes a
while to teach concepts and all of our returners have gotten so much better there and i think they
understand what we're trying to do and um and so you feel good about bringing any young person into the
culture that our kids have created um in the locker room as teammates um you know i think that's why you
have one of your kids like ally come in and and fit in right away bookie i mean just have a great
experience because of because of our team um i like who we who we signed early um i love who we have
coming back you know we're obviously gonna um lose a lot when our senior class but we have opportunity
every spring um to impact our um roster with with the portal with junior college recruiting um and we
will we need some we need some older players to come in and help us um to continue to be good and
um but have have loved it have loved my time and and super excited about what we have going
certainly a good time to have a senior class like this when you're gearing up for the tournament
and getting ready to try to make a big run let's talk about ally a little bit her family's here they
made it in from nashville it's good to see them uh but last week we kind of talked about her ability
to take charges and we wondered like you know where does she average and we did a little deep dive so
we finally got the numbers 30 charges in 27 games that's over one per game really impressive there
was one game where she took four against austin p uh so we finally got those numbers but just talk
about how she impacts the game from that standpoint well i i tell everybody ali's playing chess and
everyone else is playing checkers because she is just a play ahead she just understands the game so
well it's just in her um and so you know ali's always i'm sure she's just aggravates everybody i
mean she's beating people to spots on cuts taking charges you know post players um set a slightly
moving screen like she also deserves an academy award probably she does a great job a great job of
helping the refs out and and you have to i mean you have to it's not a flop like when there's contact
she's make sure it's it's obvious and um and then obviously she does a great job of beating people to
spots and and being in front of the basketball and taking charges with you know at the the ball's
coming at her as well but um just super crafty all timely no matter what the game is on you know
if it's a 20 point game or a two point game you know ali's still trying to take charges i think we're
at queen's up maybe 20 and she's taking a charge so i took her out um before she got hurt but um you
know just that's just her mentality she wants to win the possession coach it's hard to believe year
two is coming to a close and it's our second year doing this show and i know for you you were part of
something special at missouri western with dr looney i think you all had a show similar to this it's
kind of community driven and this show i feel like it is really driven that the basketball community feel
for us here in florence but chuck lost pizza that this community how much have they embraced you in
your two seasons oh they're tremendous um you know to to open up this restaurant take care of us
just make us feel like we're um a big deal and important and um we've loved having having this show
here and hosting it both you guys are great i know our players really enjoy coming and um every time
we come and there's community um out here enjoying some pizza and i'm spending some time with us and
you know it's great because we don't just see them on game day we get to see them in this type of
environment too and your fans are what make programs special um you know anyone can have a team um but
you don't have a program unless people come support it and watch it and want to be involved in it and
appreciate how your team plays and um you know i i tell our team all the time i mean when people come up to
me and say we love watching your team play because of how hard they play and that's why we want to come
back like it's never lost your effort is not lost um you don't have to win every game we certainly
want to but how you play this game um is super important to get people um excited about what you're
doing and um all the energy and money and all the things that go into it two nights at the bank
wednesday 5 45 friday night six o'clock the lions have a lot to play for come on out and support them
and the coach will be with you down in florida next week we can't wait for this run thank you for
being with us all season long and best of luck on the ride coming up thanks so much more lions
that's north alabama head coach candy whitaker thank you all so much for joining us all season long
down here at lost pizza shoals thank you to greg thornton 93 9 the score ikey fowler helping make this
show possible and of course chuck we appreciate him opening up his doors his restaurant to us
and happy birthday chuck well we love doing this show we'll be back with you next year no doubt about
that in-house shout out saying to eli rainey grant wakefield our producers directors in house our
batman brayden rogers he's not here with us tonight but he he was still with us in spirit behind the
scenes running things on the computer ty colter our in-house audio engineer rock star we've made him work
extra hard tonight blair back at the station we appreciate him all season long and mike i appreciate
you tag teaming football and basketball this season it's been a lot of fun love this community love our
coaches love our staff love the guys we work with this is a special place and it's easy to do this with
people you like we'll be back with more fun shows at lost pizza shoals soon we appreciate everybody
that came out all season long and hey let's have a great march ride we'll see you wednesday night
inside the bank for everybody with the university of north alabama i'm benjamin wright
saying roar lions one final time from lost pizza shoals this has been una basketball night on 93.9 the score
you've been listening to una basketball night at lost pizza company featuring coach candy whitaker and
coach tony puol una basketball night has been brought to you by lost pizza bank independent
burnley spine and sport renaissance eye care the carriage wine and market alabama health guidance
and singing river brewery thanks for listening and roar lions
you