The UNA women’s basketball program is in the process of finding a new head coach after Terry Fowler resigned last week to become the new head coach at South Alabama. Fowler will be reunited with his former boss at UNA, Joel Erdmann, now the athletic director at South Alabama. Just a few months ago, Erdmann hired former UNA soccer coach Graham Winkworth for the same position at South Alabama.

In seven seasons at UNA, Fowler posted a 115-85 record . The Lions recorded a 20-11 mark last year and went 21-7 in 2011 during the team’s two NCAA Division II South Region Tournament appearances. His overall collegiate coaching record is 206-176 over 13 seasons.

Fowler took over UNA when it was at the bottom of the GSC and immediately made the team competitive again.  The Lions had a nine-win improvement his first season, finishing second in the GSC East. He continued to build the program and in 2011 the Lions went undefeated in conference play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. He was named GSC East Division Coach of the Year.

He earned GSC Coach of the Year honors this past season, leading a team with only one returning starter to a second-place GSC finish. 

As he built his teams, Fowler did so with class. He strived to bring in girls that were not only good basketball players but good students and good people as well. His players loved him and he was extremely popular among the UNA fan base. Fowler loved UNA and hated to leave, but the job at South Alabama was too good to pass up.

UNA faces a big challenge in replacing Fowler. The bulk of last year’s team will be back, so whoever takes over will have a very talented team already in place. This is a key hire for UNA, with the inpending move to Division I. so it will be very interesting to see who Fowler’s successor will be.

Spring is a busy time for North Alabama athletics and this weekend is full of big events.

It begins Friday with the UNA women’s basketball team playing at the NCAA South Regional in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Lions take on GSC rival Delta State at 11 a.m.
UNA will be trying to beat the Statesmen for the third time this season. The Lions are coming off a disappointing loss to West Alabama in the Gulf South Conference semifinals last week.If UNA wins it will play the winner of the Tuskegee-Alabama-Huntsville game on Saturday.
The Lions have enoyed a great season with head coach Terry Fowler being named GSC Coach of the Year. UNA has a favorable draw, so it would not be a surprise to see UNA make a run at the regional.

On Saturday it’s the men’s turn in the South Regional. The UNA men will play touurnament host Florida Southern at 5 p.m. The Lions got the final spot in the regional, earning the No. 8 seed, while Florida Southern is the No. 1 seed. It’s a big challenge for the Lions, who were ousted in the opening round of the GSC Tournament by West Florida. 
The winner will play the St. Leo-Rollins winner on Sunday. The regional championship game is Tuesday.
UNA started the season 9-0 and in January looked as if it would be a No. 1 or 2 seed for the regional. But five losses in their final eight games left the Lions wondering if they would make the regional. UNA got the nod Sunday night and now the Lions need to take advantage of the opportunity.

Also on Saturday is UNA’s spring football game. The game will start at 10 a.m. at Braly Stadium. 
After having a short scrimmage last year because of a limited number of players, UNA will have a real game this year. Coach Bobby Wallace divided the seniors into two teams and let them pick the rest of the team. Wallace has been very pleased with the progress of the team during the spring, so it should be an interesting game.

The UNA baseball team will also be in action Saturday as the Lions host UAH in a doubleheader to start a crucial three-game GSC series.  Saturday’s doubleheader will feature a tribute to the United States Military. The doubleheader with the Chargers begins at 2 p.m. with pre-game ceremonies beginning at 1:45. All military personnel will be admitted free. 

UNA’s softball team will return to GSC play this weekend with a Saturday doubleheader at Union. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the Union campus in Jackson, Tenn.
The Lions moved into the national rankings this week at No. 25.

The North Alabama women got off to a slow start before rallying for a 63-52 victory over Christian Brothers on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University.

Nichelle Fillmore scored 18 points to lead UNA (20-9), which advances to Saturday’s semifinal round. The Lions will play the West Alabama-West Georgia winner Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

UNA trailed by 10 midway through the first half and CBU took a 28-22 lead into halftime. But the Lions shot 55 percent from the field in the second half to take control. Lauren Faris added 12 points and Jennifer Towne 10 for the Lions.

It was a huge win for UNA, which is No. 6 in this week’s South Region poll. The top eight teams in the region will play in next week’s regional tournament. With Thursday’s win, UNA all but assured itself a berth in the regional.

The UNA men, meanwhile are No. 8 in the regional poll, leaving the Lions no margin for error this week if they want to earn a berth in the regional. UNA may have done enough already to get in, but nothing is for sure. The Lions likely need at least one win to assure themselves a postseason bid and getting to the championship game would pretty much assure them a spot.

The men play West Florida on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. UNA swept the Argonauts during the regular season, although both games were tight. It should be another good game.

Stay tuned for more results from the tournament.

Shoring up the defense was a major goal for North Alabama in this year’s recruiting class and it appears the Lions accomplished that goal.

The Lions signed 30 toal players Wednesday, including seven defensive lineman. The Lions also added six linebackers and five defensive backs as well as three players signed as athletes that could be defensive backs. There was little doubt that UNA needed help at defensive tackle and cornerback and those positions should be much stronger and deeper this fall.

UNA added 20 high school signees and 10 transfers. Eight of the 20 high school players were from the Shoals and 17 of the 20 are from a radius of around 100 miles of Florence.

Some names to remember on the defensive line are Jonathan Robertson and Willie Bland. Robertson played at Cullman High School and signed with Troy, but never played for the Trojans. Robertson (6-foot-5, 270 pounds) will have three years of eligibility remaining. Bland recorded 29 tackles, and 7.5 sacks this past season at Fort Scott Community College. Like Robertson, Bland will have three years of eligibility at UNA.

Some of the high school signees that could contribute early are: wide receivers Tevin Cook and Dre Hall; offensive lineman Jess Cooper; tight ends Tobias Payne and Brian Puckett; defensive back Philbert Martial; linebacker Fred Rich and athletes Kai Thomas and Trae Kyles.

Cook and Hall, along with junior college signee Korey Jones give UNA three taller receivers to go with a solid returning group of wideouts. Cook, from Handley High School, recorded 30 catches for 620 yards and 11 TDs, while Hall had 74 catches for 1,286 yards and 11 TDs at Columbia-Central (Tenn.) High School. Payne and Puckett, meanwhile, give the Lions two physical tight ends to help in the running game.
Martial received attention from several Divison I schools before signing with UNA. He returned five kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns this past season at McGill-Toolen High School.
Rich was the Class 2A Lineman of the Year at Tanner and was committed to UAB before signing with the Lions.
Thomas played for former Sheffield coach Johnny Wright at Dora. As a senior, Thomas rushed for 2,134 yards and scored 39 touchdowns.
Kyles played quarterback and defensive back at Handley. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and returned four interceptions for touchdowns his senior season.
It appears to be another outstanding class. If the Lions can get the same type of contributions from this class as it did a year ago then the 2013 season could be special.

Last week proved to be another good week for the UNA men’s basketball team. The Lions earned another big road win with a victory at West Georgia and then beat West Alabama at home.

The Gulf South Conference season is now half over and the Lions stand 7-2 in conference play. That puts them in a tie with UAH for first place. Not bad for a team that returned just one starter from last season.

The second half of conference play begins with a tough two-game road swing. UNA will travel to Pensacola, Fla. on Thursday to face West Florida and then will play at Valdosta State on Saturday. The Lions have traditionally played well at West Florida, although the Argonauts came away with a win last year. Valdosta State is always a tough place to steal a win. Coach Bobby Champagne picked up his first win in 10 tries at Valdosta last season.

While UNA won both games last week it didn’t play well in either game. The Lions blew a seven-point lead in the final minutes against West Georgia before coming back to win in overtime. West Alabama outplayed UNA for the first 30 minutes before the Lions rallied for the win at Flowers Hall.

This team has unlimited potential if it can get everyone playing well at the same time. UNA has to improve its shot selection if it intends to make a run as a GSC championship. This team has several guys that can score, but they have to learn to execute the offense and create good shots instead of throwing up a quick 3-pointer.

These two games are crucial for the Lions. Winning both is going to be very tough, but a split would not be bad. Losing both games, however, would undo some of the big wins UNA has pulled off and put the Lions back in the pack in the conference standings, looking up at UAH.

It starts Thursday night at West Florida. Winning the first one would sure take a lot of pressure off the Lions heading into Valdosta State on Saturday. Stay tuned.

The many UNA fans that made the trip to Huntsville for Saturday’s basketball doubleheader with Alabama-Huntsville were rewarded with two great games. The UNA men rallied to beat No. 9 UAH 81-71, while the Lion women pulled away late for an 81-69 victory over the Chargers.

I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed two basketball games more. The atmosphere at Spragins Hall was absolutely electric. This is what college basketball is supposed to be. This is now officially UNA’s best rivalry.

The UNA men looked as if they would get blown out as the Chargers came out hot, knocking down one 3-pointer after another. Somehow, the Lions managed to stay in the game and trim the lead to six at halftime. UNA made a game of it midway through the second half and then finished strong to pull off an incredible win.

There were many heroes for the Lions. Corey Ricks scored 11 points in the first half, including a three-point play at the buzzer that keep UNA within striking distance. Freshman Jere Vucica made several huge plays in the second half, including a basket that gave UNA its first lead. Rashaun Claiborne seemed to rediscover his shooting touch in the second half, scoring 16 of his game-high 19 points in the final 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, the UNA women’s game was another great win. The women have now won five straight times in Huntsville. The game went back and forth all night and UNA was able to hang tough and then use a late surrge to hand the Chargers their first home loss of the season. The win kep the Lions in the thick of the race in the Gulf South Conference.

The UNA fans lined the hallway after the men’s game, cheering the players and coaches as they left the arena. It was an impressive site and you could tell it meant a lot to the Lions. Champagne was very appreciative of the support and said for some reason the UNA fans seem louder in Huntsville. That is true because they have to be since they are outnumbered 10 to 1 by UAH fans. Again, it was just a great atmosphere for college basketball. It doesn’t get any better at the Division II level.

Now the Lions face another tough road trip at West Georgia on Thursday. UNA wraps up the first half of GSC play at home Saturday against West Alabama. It would be great to see all those fans and many more at Flowers Hall on Saturday.

Go ahead and mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 23. That’s when UAH comes to Florence for the rematch. You can be sure that UAH will bring a great crowd and UNA needs to get a boost from its home crowd. There is no reason why this game should not be the first sellout in many years at UNA. A lot can change between now and then, but that game could go a long way toward deciding the GSC championship.

Both the UNA men’s and women’s basketball teams are off to great starts this season. The men are now 10-2 overall and 4-1 in GSC play, while the women are 11-4 and 4-1 in the GSC.

This week’s games will tell a lot about how each team. UNA will host Shorter on Thursday night and then will play at UAH on Saturday.

The UNA men are tied for second in the GSC entering this week’s games. UAH leads the conference with a 5-1 record after Saturday’s shocking home loss to Delta State. West Georgia is tied with UNA for second place at 4-2, while Shorter is right behind at 4-2, with Christian Brothers just a half back back at 3-2.
As always, it’s cruical to win at home, so Thursday’s game against Shorter is pretty much a must-win if UNA wants to remain in contention for the GSC title. Obviously winning at UAH will be extremely difficult, but unlike the UNA teams of the past three years, this one has the talent to play with UAH. You can’t expect to win at UAH, but if the Lions could somewhow sweep both games this week it would put them in a very nice position. It is always a great atmosphere at Spragins Hall when these two teams get together, so anyone wanting to see some exciting basketball should make the trip to Huntsville on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the UNA women are coming off their first GSC loss after falling at home Saturday to Union. The loss put the Lions in a tie for second place in the GSC standings, a half a game behind first-place UAH. Union is tied with UNA at 4-1, while West Georgia, Delta State and West Alabama are all 3-2.

The women need to bounce back with a win at home against Shorter on Thursday. That would set up a showdown with UAH on Saturday for first place in the conference standings. UNA upset the Chargers at Spragins Hall a year ago, so UAH will be looking for revenge. It’s still early in conference play, but these games are huge for the Lions.

Just a few weeks ago the North Alabama football team was cruising along with a 5-1 record and a playoff possibility seemed almost a certainty.

Today, the Lions are 5-4 and their season will almost certainly end Thursday night when they face West Alabama.

It’s been a disappointing four weeks for UNA. The Lions can salvage a winning season with a victory at West Alabama. With all of the freshmen this team has played and the number of injuries it has dealt with, a winning record would be quite an accomplishment.

This game has many subplots because of the coaches. UNA coach Bobby Wallace was the head coach at West Alabama from 2006-10. Wallace took over a program that had experienced very little success in its history and was certainly at the bottom when he took over. In his fourth season at West Alabama, the Tigers upset No. 1 UNA and made the Division II playoffs.

Wallace’s offensive coordinator in his final three years at West Alabama was Will Hall. The former All-America quarterback and 2003 Harlon Hill Trophy winner at UNA, Hall played a major role in the Tigers’ turnaround. When Wallace annouced his retirement from West Alabama after the 2010 season, Hall was the logical choice to be the next head coach. Hall led the Tigers to a playoff berth in 2011 and his team has already clinched a share of the GSC title this season. If the Lions beat UNA, they will be the outright conference champions and earn another playoff berth.

While a win likely won’t put UNA in the playoffs it would be a great way to end Wallace’s first season back as coach of the Lions. These two teams do not like each other, so it should be exciting. Remember, the game will be regionally televised by CSS at 6:30 p.m.

Hard to believe UNA will be playing game No. 9 on Saturday when the Lions host Tarleton State. Remember, it’s a 3 p.m. kickoff and the final home game of the season.

It has been 16 days since the Lions last played, but the sting of that 38-23 loss to West Alabama is still felt by the team. It was the second loss in a row for UNA and it cost the Lions a chance to play for a share of the Gulf South Conference championship next week against West Alabama.

How will the Lions bounce back Saturday? Nobody knows for sure, but having the week off last week had to help this team. The team had been going since early August without a break and UNA was a tired and beaten up football team two weeks ago. Having some fresh legs and getting a couple of key players back healthy should give the Lions a boost.

Tarleton State has a 4-4 record, but the Texans are a good football team. They opened the season with a victory over Midwestern State, which beat West Alabama a few weeks ago, so the Texans are certainly no pushover. Tarleton State is especially good offensively, averaging 31 points per game. The Texas will go against a UNA defense that had its worst performance of the season in its last outing against West Georgia. The Wolves basically just whipped the Lions up front and ran the ball at will. If that happens again Saturday, UNA will likely lose its third straight.

I expect the defense to bounce back with a much better performance. The time off has give the players time to heal and the coaching staff a chance to evaluate what they have been doing. It will be another big test for the defense and I believe it is up for the challenge.

UNA’s offense should be able to put up some points against the Texans. Freshman quarterback Luke Wingo has given the Lions a solid passing game and senior wide receiver Brian Sutherland is expected to return today after missing the last five games. The key for the Lions is getting their running game going again. I expect Lamonte Thompson to bounce back with a big game today and for the Lions to grab the lead early and hang on for a win, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

UNA 31, Tarleton State 24

North Alabama’s chances of making the Division II playoffs got a little boost Tuesday when the new Division II regional rankings were released.

After being left out of the first rankings, UNA is 10th this week in Super Region 2. Only the top six teams in each region qualify for the playoffs, so there is still a long way to go for the Lions.

Here’s the complete list of the rankings

1. Miles College
2. West Alabama
3. Valdosta State
4. Mars Hill
5. Carson-Newman
6. Lenior-Rhyne
7. Fort Valley State
8. UNC-Pembroke
9. Albany State
10. North Alabama

Of course, any UNA hopes of making the playoffs will be end if the Lions lose to Tarleton State this weekend. There is no doubt that UNA must win its final two games to have a shot at getting in. If the Lions did win the final two, then finishing with a 7-3 record and having victories over Miles College and West Alabama would be pretty impressive.

Still, the Lions would need some help. They will get some help becauase Fort Valley State and Albany State play each other, as do Mars Hill and Carson-Newman. The odds are certainly not in UNA’s favor, but the postseason is still a possibility.

But as coach Bobby Wallace said after practice Tuesday, UNA doesn’t need to be worrying about the playoffs right now. After getting whipped at West Georgia, UNA’s only concern should be coming back strong this week and getting a win against Tarleton State. If the Lions can do that they could certainly make the final week of the regular season interesting.