Tiny Bubbles is a regular blog straight from the desk (or from a laptop on the bus) from Coach Bobby Champagne.

January  25, 2012

BAD NIGHT IN GRACELAND

Walking in Memphis...the Delta Blues...the Red Panda...3-point barrage...That is what has happened over the past week in UNA Hoops.

Our game with the Top 25 Christian Brothers University just a few miles from Graceland could have been our worst offensive performance of the season. Not exactly what you want to have happen when you are playing the No. 11 ranked team in the country on their home floor. A season-low two 3-point field goals for the game as well as a dreadful 25.8% from the field led to a bad loss.

We had a quick turnaround and took on GSC-rival Delta State. During this game, we made more 3-point field goals (12) than 2-point field goals (10). We finished the game shooting 12-of-26 from beyond the three point line and just 10-of-40 from inside the arc. I am not sure if I have ever been a part of a game like this, but we forced 19 turnovers and held the Statesmen to just 31% shooting on the evening. We ventured out of league play for our next game and played Concordia-Selma. We were one shy of tying a school record for made 3-point baskets (16) and set a school record for 3-point baskets attempted (38). Beaumont Beasley came out on fire as he scored 19 points in the first 10 minutes of action. He was 6-for-6 from the 3-point line and 9-of-11 from the field. As a team we shot 53% for the game. We led from start to finish and cruised to a 106-75 victory (Free Queso at Rosie's and BOGO at Frostbite).

Parker Hendricks should be complimented for securing Krystal, the Red Panda Acrobat as our halftime entertainment. She rode a seven foot unicycle, kicked several bowls at a time into the air and landed them in an ever-growing and wobbly stack of bowls on her head. Each successive flip was done with a greater number of bowls. She holds the world record for this act. The Red Panda Acrobat left the Flowers Hall crowd breathless.

Next up No. 12 UA-Huntsville and No. 22 West Georgia. Be sure and wear white as we will "White Out the Chargers."


January  19, 2012

Writer's Block

Ok it's been over a month since I have given an update on UNA basketball. I will blame it writer's block but most of you will know the truth. I will admit that it is much easier to cut and paste the www.roarlions.com story or the www.timesdaily.com story to a twitter and facebook account. That's lazy and you deserve better. So here it is.

A lot has happened with our team since my "writer's block" set in. Our record was 5-2. We are now 9-6. The experiences have been much more than just wins and losses. We've traveled from New Orleans, LA to Pensacola, FL as well as stops in Carrollton, GA and Livingston, AL. Through our 15 games we have only played five games in Flowers Hall, so we have really been able to experience life on the road.

In New Orleans, our team experienced much of what the Crescent City has to offer. Much of what New Orleans has to offer is some of the best restraints in the world. Fresh seafood and Cajun and Creole cuisine are available on every corner. Our players ordered pancakes and bacon instead of red beans and rice and opted for Popeye's ("because it tastes different in New Orleans") instead of a muffaletta or Po' Boy from Mother's. We also got a taste of what a BCS bowl game is like, as the University of Louisiana defeated San Diego State in the Super Dome on a last second field goal. Congratulations to former UNA Coach Mark Hudspeth as he led the Ragin' Cajuns to their first bowl game in over 40 years.

Following New Orleans we all took a week off for the holidays. When we returned, the team headed to Pensacola Beach for a Holiday Classic. The Lions were treated to surf, sun and hoops. One of the perks we have enjoyed when traveling to Pensacola is having Jimbo's Catering serving our team meals. Not only does he feed us but he cheered on the team. Jimbo did a Hulk Hogan impersonation as the bus rolled down the Santa Rosa sound on route to our games with Virginia State and St. Augustine.

Gulf South Conference season began with us gaining a road victory over No. 25 West Georgia and a home victory over Valdosta State. Senior guard, Beaumont Beasley was named GSC player of the week following the first week of conference play.

We now are headed to Memphis for a match-up with No. 11 Christian Brothers with a home game against Delta State.

The 9th Annual Champagne Brunch will take place on the 21st of January. Congratulations to former assistant coach, Cord Wright and his wife Kelly are they are now proud parents of their first child, Copper Davis Wright. I am sure he will look great in purple and gold.

Now that writer's block is cured, I will keep you posted more frequently.


December 9, 2011

Rematch

What a difference a week makes. Last week's 75-74 loss to Ouachita Baptist was disappointing. What made it even worse was waiting a week to play another game. Fortunately for our team, the wait worked out as we were able to avenge the loss with an 82-64 victory over OBU.

Defense was the key for us as we held the Tigers to just 1-of-11 shooting from the 3-point line and scored 26 points of their turnovers. We forced 26 turnovers on the night and had a season-best 14 steals. Theron Jenkins lead the way with 5 steals while three other players had 2 each and Warrick Mastin had 3. Our stingy defense not only kept us in the game but allowed us to extend our lead despite a relatively poor shooting night.

Four of our players scored double figures with Beaumont Beasley leading the way with 19 points. Wes Long and Mastin each had 15 while Jenkins added 12 and Nick Luttrell had 11. Eleven players logged some minutes for the Lions, with our bench outscoring the OBU bench 25-12.

This was only our third home game of the season. Our crowd was great and the students took a much needed break from their studies to cheer on our team. The University's ROTC and the Cub Scouts from Pack 297 were in attendance. The BOGO free promotion for 7 three pointers has been great. We have made at least seven 3-pointers in the first half of each of our home games. We are very thankful for Frostbite helping us out and that our fans wait until after the game to collect their yogurt.

Exams begin so we will not play again until the 18th when we take on the Privateers of the University of New Orleans. This should be a great trip for our team. It will be our final game before we take a week of for the holidays.

Next up: University of New Orleans, Sunday December 18th at 2pm.

As always I will continue to try and keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops!


December 5, 2011

Arkansas Road Trip

For the past nine seasons, we have made at least one road trip to the state of Arkansas. This will be our only trip to "The Natural State" this season and unless something changes in Division II regionalization, it may be our last. Thank goodness!

After trailing by as may as 14 points in the second half, we came up one point short and suffered our second loss of the season at Ouachita Baptist. The Tigers got a go-ahead jumper with 22 seconds remaining. We missed the final shot of the game as time expired, giving OBU the 75-74 victory.

On a positive note, we made the trip to Arkansas and back to Florence without the bus catching on fire (see previous trip to Ouachita Baptist). Beaumont Beasley led our team with 12 points while Theron Jenkins added 10 points on the evening. OBU's defense forced us into 18 turnovers and held us to 38% from the field. We trailed 51-37 with 13:45 to go in the game.

We were able to chip away at the deficit, tying the game 60-60 on a three-point basket by Wes Long and took the lead on the next possession on a three-pointer by Warrick Mastin. From that point on the game would be tied five more times. Emmanuel Engulu hit the game winning shot with 22 seconds remaining.

Due to a quirk in our schedule, we will meet the same team Thursday night at Flowers Hall.

This team has been fun to coach through the early part of the schedule. Our two losses by a total of three points and we have played five of the seven games away from Flowers Hall. We need to work hard these next few weeks on offensive execution. When we do that, our field goal percentage will improve from the 39.6% that we are currently shooting and our turnovers will decrease from the current rate of 14.9 per game.

Exams begin on Friday so we will hit the books and the hardwood for the next few days.

Next up: Ouachita Baptist Thursday at 7pm.

As always I will continue to try and keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops!


November 29, 2011

Turkey, Dressing and Basketball

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For two of our players, Nathan Spehr and Luke Corkery, it was their first. Most of our team was able to spend time with their family during the weekend and we all enjoyed two games at the University of Montevallo Coca-Cola Classic.

We came away from the weekend with a two point loss versus #18 Georgia Southwestern and a five point win versus host Montevallo. Both games were very exciting and the coaching staff was very pleased with everyone's effort. Once again, our seniors showed some resolve as well as maturity. We were down by double digits in each of the games and were able to cut into that deficit as well as take the lead in each of the games. Our team defense and overall rebounding has improved as we held our opponents to 38.5% from the field and 29.6% from the 3-point line. We also forced over 15 turnovers per game.

Individually, Theron Jenkins averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds for the weekend while Beaumont Beasley averaged 16 points and 3 rebounds and Warrick Mastin chipped in 9 points and just over 3 rebounds per game. Wes Long, who has not been shooting as well as in the past contributed by averaging 5.5 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman Nathan Spehr averaged 7 points for the two games versus two of the better teams in the Peach Belt Conference.

I was educated on what a class B technical infraction is prior to the start of our game versus Montevallo. Section 6 Article 1 states, "A technical foul shall be assessed to a player or a substitute for the following infractions: e. A team member dunking or attempting to dunk a dead ball before or during the game, or during any intermission." So for the first time in over 20 years in college basketball, we started the game with a technical foul. A class B is different from a class A, so you may want to refer to your rule book because we may have a quiz at the end of the season.

With only a few days of class remaining and exams on the horizon, we will only have three games over the next 17 days. It will be very important for us to sharpen up on all aspects of our team.

Next up: Ouachita Baptist Thursday at 7pm.

As always I will continue to try and keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops!


November 18, 2011

Four and O Start

For the first time since the 2004-05 season, our team is off to a 4 and 0 start. Ironically, Luke Copeland, a senior on that team stopped by the office earlier this week to update me on how his life was going and checking up on his alma mater. It's always good to see and hear from former players.

Winning is always high on our priority list but it is also important is that we are improving on a daily basis. I believe that has been the case with this team and much of that improvement can be attributed to our five seniors. Beaumont Beasely, Sam Buxton, Theron Jenkins, Nick Lutrell and Warrick Mastin have provided leadership for our team as well as being very productive on the court. They are responsible for 56.4 points per game and 25.9 rebounds per game. This accounts for 68% of our scoring and 59% of our rebounds. Senior leadership is a valuable part of any successful team.

We took a much needed day off on Saturday and Sunday. This will be a short week of school with the Thanksgiving holiday so it will be a great opportunity for our team to get better with practice.

Congratulations to former assistant Goran Secerovic and his wife Lori who just had their first child. Mila Beth Secerovic was born this week. Welcome to our newest fan.

Next up: #21 Georgia Southwestern Friday at 2pm.

I will continue to try and keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops


November 14, 2011

Three Days - Three Games - Three Wins

The start of the 2011-12 season began with two games on the road and one at home. When we scheduled the games in early May, it seemed like a great idea. Two in-region games played on Friday and Saturday afternoon and then return for the home opener on Monday night for a double header with our women. What happened was two tough road games and a quick turnaround for a Sunday afternoon game. I was a little anxious headed into the games because of how badly we had been beaten in our two Division I exhibition games.

Our team played good enough to win the games vs. Clark Atlanta and Morehouse. Both of the games I believe will help us as we get into our Gulf South Conference schedule. Each game had some adversity that we needed to overcome and we were able to work through being down and finding a way to win. Winning both of the games were very important but I also believe that the visit we made to the Marin Luther King Memorial http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm was equally as important for our team. This was my first visit to the center and it is definitely a place everyone should visit when in Atlanta. We defeated Clark Atlanta 76-73 in overtime and Morehouse 73-67.

Beaumont Beasley scored a game-high 24 points and connected on a game-tying three-point basket in the closing seconds of regulation to put the game into overtime. He also made 5-of-6 free throws in the overtime period to preserve the win. Theron Jenkins and Warrick Mastin each had double-doubles. Beasley shot to send the game into overtime was important but it would not have been possible if Wes Long had not chased down a long rebound and passed the ball to Beasley.

Warrick Mastin scored 24 points, including a layup with 17 seconds remaining to lead us to the win over Morehouse. Beasley added 17 points and Long chipped 13 points on the night. As a team, we made 10 3-pointers, 10 for 25 on the evening and held Morehouse to only 2 of 12 from beyond the 3 point line. On another positive note, the team had one of the best pre-game meals of the season compliments of Pitty Pat?s Porch http://www.pittypatsrestaurant.com/  Big Momma was our hostess for our meal.

The Huningdon game on Sunday afternoon posed a mental test for our team. We returned from Atlanta just before 2 am and 9 hours later we were having a pre-game meal and devotional. Fortunately, our team responded as 5 players reached double digits as we picked up a 101-74 victory to win our third straight game. More importantly we were able to play our bench for a significant amount of minutes and everyone responded well. All of our freshmen played well and gained some valuable experience.

Next up Oakwood College Thursday at 6pm.

Congratulations to our soccer team GSC Champions and our Volleyball and Football team for earning a berth in the NCAA tournament and playoffs.

I will continue to try and keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops!
 

November 9, 2011

Exhibition Season Over... Thank Goodness

Really our exhibition games are great for our team to see where we are as a team and it gives us an opportunity to compete in great environments. That's great for our players and our fans who have traveled to these venues, it hasn't been that much fun for me. Twenty-nine and fifty point losses have not been very good for my sleep or my eating habits. I am optimistic that this will change as we head into the regular season and focus on Division 2 teams.

This weekend will be a great test for our team as we take on Clark Atlanta on Friday and Morehouse on Saturday. Both of the games will be played at Morehouse in Atlanta, GA. We will return to home on Sunday afternoon to play Huntingdon.

This is a great time of year on our campus; basketball season begins, as well as the playoffs and NCAA Tournaments for football, volleyball and soccer. Congratulations to Coach Graham Winkworth and his women's soccer team for bringing home the Gulf South Conference Championship Trophy. Best of luck to you and your team in the NCAA Tournament.

I will continue to keep you posted throughout the season.

Yours in Hoops!
.

October 12, 2011

Pre-Season Conditioning Ends With Help From UNA Army ROTC

Our month long pre-season conditioning program ended this week with help from the UNA Army ROTC officers and cadets. Combined with the normal running, lifting and cross-training techniques, our UNA basketball team participated in a mini-boot camp.

The UNA Army ROTC put our team through a few "PT" drills and some team building exercises. We concluded our "training" with a paintball event which put the coaches and ROTC against the players. I believe our team benefitted greatly from the two-day events and are very appreciative of the UNA Army ROTC staff for helping us become a better team.

Now it's time to play some basketball! We will begin practice on October 15th and will have a couple of weeks of practice before we play the University of Mississippi in an exhibition game on November 3rd.

Season Tickets are on sale now. Our regular season begins on November 11th vs. Morehouse with our first home game on November 13th vs. Huntingdon.

Be sure to check out the images:  PHOTO 1  |  PHOTO 2

August 1, 2011

Dear Fans,

My wife Anna and I, along with our local American Cancer Society division, will host Alabama's COACHES vs. CANCER Colors of Hope Ball in Florence on August 20, 2011. Coach Wimp Sanderson and Coach Sonny Smith will join us for a weekend of fundraising events to benefit the American Cancer Society. We hope you will be a part of this exciting venue!

The COACHES vs. CANCER Colors of Hope Ball is a sports oriented fundraising event at which top supporters, corporate donors, fellow coaches, and other colleagues in the sports industry enjoy an elegant evening to benefit the American Cancer Society. Our CvC Color of Hope Ball will be a celebrity-filled occasion, with appearances by Alabama's college coaches and players and other enthusiastic supporters. You will want to be part of this event!

It is our hope that all college basketball coaches in Alabama will join this COACHES vs. CANCER fundraising effort! Your Celebrity Coach reply form is included. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact me at 256-627-6167. CLICK FOR MORE ON UPCOMING EVENT

Sincerely,

Coach Champagne

May 4, 2011

This story, from Russ Corey, appeared in the TimesDaily.com on May 3...

UNA athletes assist in cleanup effort

Ricky Davison has seen tornado damage before. What he saw Monday when he and other University of North Alabama athletes rolled into storm-ravaged Phil Campbell left him speechless, however.

"I'm not a person that talks a lot anyway," said Davison, a senior guard on the UNA men's basketball team. He was sitting with other athletes on the back of a pickup in the parking lot of Phil Campbell High School, taking in the scenes of destruction left by last week's deadly tornado.

Tony Pecoraro, defensive coordinator for the Lions football team, said the athletes and coaches from all UNA sports were sent to Phil Campbell to help any way possible. They arrived about 11:30 a.m. and stayed on site until 6 p.m.

"We've been working all day," Pecoraro said.

The athletes, coaches and even some parents helped removed debris and downed trees from around homes. They helped at a water-and-food distribution center and rode through neighborhoods offering help to anyone in need.

UNA placekicker Josh Montgomery lives on campus, but his family's home is in nearby Spruce Pine.

"I live near here and we're just helping clean up the rubble," Montgomery said. "I'm a little awestruck by all the damage. What we've been doing puts some of this in perspective, about how dangerous these things can be."

He said the athletes did whatever they were asked to do.

UNA basketball coach Bobby Champagne said he and his players had a good reason for helping out in Phil Campbell.

"The number one reason for us, one of our team members lost his house," Champagne said. "We came to help them out."

Freshman guard Lawrence Butts was at his home in Phil Campbell with his mother and brother when the tornado struck the Franklin County town Wednesday afternoon. The family survived the storm, Champagne said.

Davison said it gives him a good feeling to be a part of the effort to help.

"It's been hard to deal with," he said.

Montgomery's mother, Tricia Montgomery, was driving groups of athletes around town. The family's home was not damaged, but they do their shopping and banking in Phil Campbell.

"Three guys that work for me lost their homes," she said.

Champagne said another reason they came was to offer assistance to a town that has supported UNA sports through the years.

Watching news coverage of the storms and reading about it in the newspaper doesn't capture the magnitude of the damage and what the affected residents are going through as seeing it in person, he said. "It doesn't seem like we've done that much because there's so much to do."


February 8, 2011

Player of the Week

Marcus Landry was named the Gulf South Conference player of the week. He is the second player to claim honors this season, averaging 18 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting 71.4% from the field helping the Lions win 2 games during the week.

The junior fell into foul trouble in the first game of the week, scoring 9 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in just 10 minutes of an 81-61 home loss to the #5 UA-Huntsviille Chargers. He followed that performance with a strong outing helping UNA to an 100-89 victory over Valdosta State. The Sulpur, LA native, led all players with 26 points and 16 boards in 30 minutes of action. The junior then capped off the week with a team-best 19 points and game-high nine rebounds in a 96-89 triumph over West Florida.

The two wins moved UNA to 4-4 in the Gulf South Conference. In the three games, Landry totaled 54 points 32 rebounds, 4 assists , 4 blocks and 4 steals. He shot 19-of-27 from the field and 16-of-26 from the free throw line. In Gulf South Conference games, he is ranked 14th in scoring (14.0ppg), 5th in rebounding (7.6rpg), 7th in blocked shots (.9bpg) and leads the Gulf South Conference in field goal percentage (69.4%).


January 19, 2011

Player of the Week

Officials with the Gulf South Conference have named North Alabama's Ricky Davison as the East Division Player of the Week. The senior becomes the first UNA player to win the award this season after helping the Lions get off to a 1-1 start in GSC play.

In a pair of road games last week against Valdosta State and West Florida, Davison averaged 22 points and five rebounds in just over 28 minutes of playing time. He shot 53.8 percent from three-point range and 81.8 percent at the foul line.

The senior opened the week, leading UNA with 20 points in just 22 minutes in the Lions' 102-84 setback at No. 24 VSU. The Fort Deposit native capped the week at West Florida, helping the Lions to a 90-72 triumph behind a team-best 22 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.


January 15, 2011

The Difference One Game Can Make

Being 1-1 vs 0-2 doesn't seem like much, but it is huge when you are talking about league standings and players psyches.

Our 90-72 win over West Florida moved our Gulf South Conference record to 1-1 and tied with Valdosta State for the 2nd spot in the GSC East after the first weekend of play. I realize it is very early in the 12-game season, but we certainly feel a whole lot better about ourselves and are very optimistic as we head into this week s games with Lambuth and West Georgia.

Our bench was the difference in the game as they outscored the Argo s bench 35-19. Warrick Mastin (13pts) Sam Buxton (10pts) and Doug Hunter (9pts) were big factors for us as the trio accounted for 32 points and 11 rebounds on the night. Ricky Davison continues to shoot the ball well from the 3-point line, shooting 4-of-8 and leading our Lions with 24 points and 7 rebounds.

We trailed UWF by 10 points (25-15) with less than 10 minutes to play in the first half when our bench along with Ricky s hot shooting provided the spark we needed. We went into the locker room tied at 40 and outscored the Argonauts 23 to 10 in the opening minutes of the second half. Our defensive intensity and aggressiveness made the difference as we were able to hold UWF to 34% shooting during the 2nd half of play. We also turned 15 UWF turnovers into 22 points for the game.

Nick Luttrell and Marcus Landry had solid performances for us in the post as well combining for 22 points and 9 rebounds. Nick leads our team in free throw % for the season (79%) and Landry leads us in rebounding (7rpg). If they will continue to work hard and improve there is no doubt that our team will continue to improve as well.

This weekend s home games with Lambuth and West Georgia will be huge for us and I hope that our students will fill Flowers Hall. Our annual Champagne Brunch will take place this weekend so be sure to check in on all the excitement surrounding this weekend.


January 14, 2011

Gulf South Conference Opener

Our team ran into a buzz saw on Thursday night. Valdosta State is ranked 5th in the nation in scoring and they proved it in the 102-84 victory over our team. Normally scoring 84 points, shooting 44% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 80% from the free throw line, would be enough for a victory, but it was not quite enough versus the 24th ranked Blazers.

Starting out the conference season with a loss is never a good thing, but there were some positives to take away from the game. Offensively we played good enough to win (five players in double figures) so we can build on that. The defensive end is where we need to improve and improve quickly. This will be our focus and emphasis for the game versus West Florida on Saturday afternoon.

Nothing about this job is simple. You do what you feel is right and hope it works. You hope your players can run your offense. You hope they can stay healthy. You educate yourself the best you can, and hope
it's enough. Even though you're never really sure it is.

I will attempt to give an update early Saturday evening as soon as the game is over.


January 12, 2011

Final Tune Up Before Gulf South Conference Play

Non-Conference games during the semester break can be tough. We were very fortunate to come away with a 105-75 victory over Concordia-Selma. Coming off the loss at Missouri, which we played in front of 9,000 people and an ESPN3 audience, our players took a while to get their motors running.

We trailed Concordia by 8 points early in the opening minutes and then we realized that the game had started. We then spurted out to a 21-3 run and gain the lead which we never relinquished. The Hornets of Concordia would not get within 15 points throughout the remainder of the game.

Ricky Davison exploded for 26 first half points and finished with 31 points to lead six UNA players who reached double figures. Other double figure scores included Marcus Landry (20), Warrick Mastin (14), Nick Luttrell (13), Wes Long (10) and Sam Buxton (10).

Our attention now turns to Gulf South Conference play; Twelve games played over the next two months. As always, the league will be very competitive and I believe that it will be a very tight race. We begin the race at #24 Valdosta State on January 13th and at West Florida on the 15th. This should be the toughest road swing of the season and it will be a great opportunity for us to get off to a good start.

We added two players to our roster during the semester break and I will give you some information on those young men very soon.

January 8, 2011

Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball... and then some

This is a fun way to play basketball. Not sure how much fun Missouri s opponents have, but we managed to hang tough with the #8 Tigers through the first 14 minutes of the game. In fact, at the 6:01 mark in the first half Beaumont Beasley had a steal and drove the length of the court and made a lay-up which would have made the score 30-24. Unfortunately for us the official decided to call a charge. The Tigers then made 3 consecutive three pointers and a transition jump shot to push the lead to 17 before we could slow down Coach Anderson s squad. Mizzou closed out the half with a 27-9 run.

That would take the fight out of most teams, not the UNA Lions. We continued to claw and fight even though we were obviously over matched. It is really hard to come away from a 40 point loss and feel good, but I was very pleased with how hard all of our players played in what will surely be the toughest environment we will see all season.

Other positives that we can take from the experience are that we broke their pressure on several possessions and got lay ups or wide open jump shots, Beaumont and Ricky Davison continue to score in double figures and when Nick Luttrell and Marcus Landry play aggressively, we have a low post presence. The fact that we forced 21 turnovers and had 11 steals were also positives on the night.

I would like to thank Coach Anderson and his staff for giving our players this opportunity. And I almost forgot to mention the "Antlers." Mizzou's student group that is notorious for taunting the visiting team. They were a lot of fun to deal with and much nicer than I remember them when they were in the Hearnes Center. One of them made mention that he follows me on twitter, facebook or this website and he wanted to be sure to get credit. I am thankful that there aren t too many GSC teams who have a group like the Antlers. Best of luck to the Tigers as they begin Big 12 play and we will see you in Flowers Hall.

January 6, 2011

New Year New Start

Happy New Year! Our team began the new year it fine fashion with two wins. I am not superstitious so we will not have black eyed peas and cabbage as a pre-game meal every game. Our team has played with a sense of urgency as well as some renewed energy and enthusiasm.

We were able to defeat Arkansas-Monticello 96-75 and Southern Arkansas 81-64 to improve to 6-8 on the season. Our defensive intensity held UAM and SAU to 43% from the field and 30% from the 3-point line. We held a decisive rebounding edge in both games while forcing 68 turnovers and creating 32 steals.

In each of the game we utilized our defense to create offense. Most of our forced turnovers resulted in scoring opportunities and enabled us to gain control of the game. 17 second-chance points vs. SAU and 12 vs. UAM.

Five players reached double digits scoring vs. the Boll Weevils. Beaumont Beasley had six three-pointers and finished with 22 points to lead UNA. The junior from Kansas City, MO, was 6-of-8 from long range, including a 5-of-6 showing in the second half. We made 80% from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes of play. We had a 5-point lead midway through the first half before going on a 10-0 run and held on to a 14 point advantage into the locker room.

In the second half, we led by as many as 26 points and shot over 61 percent from the floor including 8-of10 from beyond the three-point line. Ricky Davison hit four 3-point shots and finished with 18 points. Warrick Mastin added 14 points for the Lions while Nick Luttrell tossed in 13 points on the night. Marcus Landry also had 10 points and seven rebounds.

We used a fast start to grab a big lead and coasted to a 81-64 win over the Muleriders. SAU (8-4) on the season knocked off No. 4 Alabama-Huntsville and took and early 7-3 lead. We used an 18-0 run to take a 21-7 lead. SAU was able to cut the lead to seven but we again turned up the intensity on the defensive end of the floor and held the Muleriders without a field goal over the final 5 minutes of the first half.

In the second half, we capitalized from the free throw line making 26-of-28 in the second half to earn our second victory in as many days.

Our team will now take to the road to play the Missouri Tigers of the Big 12 conference. It should be a great environment for our players and fans.

Hope to see you soon. Happy New Year. Enjoy your black eyed peas and cabbage, we will.

December 14, 2010

The Ride is Over

We hope you enjoyed the ride, please exit to your left and do not get back on!

Thank goodness finally some sort of normal basketball game.

I am very proud of the way our team bounced back from the disappointing loss to Harding and ended the ride that we have been on with a 73-60 victory over Ouachita Baptist. Defense and rebounding were the keys as we held OBU to only 7 field goals in the second half and held a commanding 43-29 advantage on the boards. Along the way we forced the Tigers into 19 turnovers and pulled down 13 offensive rebounds.

Beaumont Beasley led us with 20 points and Ricky Davison added 16 while Marcus Landry produced his second consecutive double-double. Landry's 12 points and 12 rebounds represented his fourth double-double of the season. Ironically he also had 16 points and 16 rebounds versus OBU in the first meeting. Trent McCants played 30 minutes with 7 points, 5 assists and 0 turnovers. Doug Hunter also provided a spark with 7 points, 4 rebounds and took 3 charges.

With the victory, our team improves to 4-6 and we head back on the road for a two-game swing through the state of Arkansas. We will play Arkansas Tech and have a rematch with Harding before we take a break for the Christmas Holiday.

As a coach, we are always looking for ways to improve and we definitely could use some improvement in the free throw department. Maybe Santa will drop some made free throws in our stockings. We are currently shooting 67.2 percent from the charity stripe. We missed 15 free throws vs. OBU and were 1-4 in the overtime vs. Harding. Now you know why I am bald.

It s hard to get the Harding loss out of my head so here is the play by play for those who like horror movies...

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE HORROR SHOW

December 8, 2010

Disney Needs to Name a Ride After This Team

Trust me, I would like to write about something else but it is unbelievable how this team is on a virtual amusement park ride.

A second half 24-0 run against Georgia College, then put up 95 points vs. Delta State to be followed by the lowest offensive point total since the 2008-09 season with an 80-55 loss to Christian Brothers. To top it off, an 89-87 overtime loss to Harding. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we had an 11-point lead with 1:01 remaining in the Harding game. And did I mention we were down 16 midway through the first half of the CBU game, only to tie it up at 34 with 3:00 minutes to go in the half. We went on a 16 to 0 run; we then allowed CBU to close the half on a 9-0 run. We score the first five of the second half and then CBU outscores us 16-2 to gain control of the game.

Has your stomach started to churn? Do you feel like Goose in the movie Top Gun? It is absolutely crazy how this team can be so very good for a stretch and then almost be non-existent for another stretch.

The overtime loss to Harding has been a tough pill to swallow even with the strawberry flavored Mylanta I have in my desk drawer. I tried to think of a game that I had been involved with that ended in a similar fashion. The 1989 1st round NCAA game with South Alabama and Alabama was similar but not really, we won the game to advance against eventual champion Michigan. I thought of the 2007 DII National Championship game where Anthony Atkinson scored 10 points in the final: 39 seconds to help Barton get a victory over Winona State.

Okay enough about the thrill ride. Ricky Davison has been scoring in bunches 19 vs. Christian Brothers and 29 vs. Harding. Marcus Landry posted another double-double vs. Harding, his third of the season. Doug Hunter got his first start of the year and scored 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Exams begin this week and we have a re-match with Ouachita Baptist. Hope to see you in Flowers Hall to hopefully put an end to the ride.

November 30, 2010

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

On the heels of a two game losing streak and playing our first home game of the season against Delta State, it is safe to say I was a little on edge headed into to the game. Our starting point guard, Trent McCants, has a cracked rib, sixth-year senior, Doug Hunter is still nursing his knee surgery, and Warrick Mastin is one wrong step away from another foot injury. On top of that Delta State is a very talented basketball team.

UNA and Delta have somewhat of a history. The schools have played each other 76 times with State holding a 38-37 advantage in the series. Our school's football teams compete annually for the GSC Championship. What II'm trying to say is that this is a BIG game!

Our player's rose to the challenge defeating Delta State 95-75 and along the way set a school record. Five players had at least two 3-pointers, led by senior guard Ricky Davison, who hit five. Our guys were 17 of 30 from behind the arc. This broke the school record of fourteen 3-pointers made in a game against Trevecca Nazarene in 1998.

Sam Buxton led the Lions with a career high 19 points off the bench. The Gibraltar native was shooting "The Rock." Sam connected on 7-of-9 field goals and was 2-of-3 from the free throw line. He scored eleven of his points in the first half.

Everything looks great when the "brown thing goes in the round thing" and our team used the hot outside shooting to spark the defensive end as well. We forced 24 turnovers which accounted for 22 points and had 18 second chance points as well. Our bench was huge for us scoring 32 points and really provided a spark on both ends of the floor.

Dwayne Davis and Ozone sports provided t-shirts for each 3-pointer made and before the game I was folding those shirts for our cheerleaders to throw into the crowd, when our athletic director came in the office. I asked him how many 3-pointers he thought we would make and he thought 13 was a good number. I laughed and said something about our 0-for-12 performance in the second half of the Montevallo game. Shows you what I know. I'm going to call Dwayne today and see if we can get a few more t-shirts for our game vs. Christian Brothers.

Our crowd was great and the Beal Street Flippers did a great job keeping them entertained during halftime.

Hope to see you in Flowers Hall to join the roller coaster ride.

November 29, 2010

Roller Coaster Ride

Have you ever been a part of a 24-0 scoring run? Well I have and it took place at the start of the second half of our game vs. Georgia College. Our team had Great energy, enthusiasm and effort by our team during the first ten minutes of the second half to outscore the Bobcats 31 to 4. Great run and should be excited, the only problem, we were down 40-19 in the first half.

Absolutely one of the craziest games I have ever been a part of. I was very proud of our team s effort and am hopeful that this will give us the confidence that no matter what the deficit we will be able to overcome. Another learning opportunity for our team but unfortunately we learned this lesson with a 67-66 loss.

Our young team has battled through adversity of playing its first six games on the road against two teams in the Top 25 and has battled through several injuries. I am very thankful that we have our next three games at home.

The schedule doesn't get any easier but at least we will have the support of our fans in Flowers Hall.

Check back with an update on the Delta State game.

I hope you all had as nice a Thanksgiving as our team. We would like to thank our friends and family who helped provide some meals for our players during the break.

Roar Lions!

November 21, 2010

Our team picked up two good road wins this past weekend at Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist. We overcame adversity from every direction imaginable. Obviously winning on the road is hard with the opposing team, rowdy fans and sometimes an unkind whistle, but this trip was one that needs to be placed in a book about small college basketball.

We had no problems early on, the bus arrives on time, the boxed lunches arrive on time and we leave Florence as planned at 2:00pm. Twenty minutes into the trip we are pulled over for speeding but are only given a warning. We arrive in Memphis as scheduled but then hit a traffic jam because a truck driver hit an overpass with a crane. Not a big deal, just a slight delay so we arrive in Little Rock a little late for dinner but we can adjust. After dinner, our bus driver who does a little bounty hunting on the side, can't get the bus to go over 45 mph, so an hour drive from Little Rock to Arkadelphia turns into two.

Thursday morning we head over to shoot-around and share the court with our women's team because the court is only available for one hour. Unfortunately for our women, their basketballs arrive 10 minutes late and we are kicked out of the gym five minutes early because the PE class must start on time. During my seven years at UNA, I have come to realize that all things will not go as planned in "The Deuce." We spend the afternoon relaxing, watch video of Henderson State and the team goes to pregame meal while I watch our women s team play. Midway through the first half of the women's game, I get a call that the bus is on fire and the team is walking to the gym. This is a true story, I can't make this stuff up. I walk out of the gym and see our bus in the parking lot with black smoke billowing from the rear. The local fire truck arrives shortly but the flames had already been put out by our bounty-hunting bus driver.

On a side note, Henderson State had a bomb threat on their campus earlier that day so their game management was a little alarmed by the bus rolling onto their campus with flames and smoke. Okay, now we can get back to the game.

Four players reached double figures in scoring for the game. Ricky Davison was on fire (couldn't resist) and led our team with 24 points. We really did get hot on offense at the start of the second half and shot 4-of-10 from the 3-point line and just over 47% from the field. We ended up winning the game 77-72 and luckily for us, Coach Sam Weaver shuttled our men's and women's teams to our hotel on a Henderson State bus so we didn t have to walk.

From here on out it is a little anti-climactic, the bus company sends us another bus that doesn't catch on fire, we defeat Ouachita Baptist 69-62 and get home safe and sound Saturday morning around 5:30 am. Seriously, we were fortunate to come away from this road trip with two wins. Warrick Mastin did not play one minute vs. OBU and Ricky Davison did not play the second half, so we were very happy to be able to beat a very good team without two of our starters. Beaumont Beasley led us in scoring with 23 points and Marcus Landry added 16 points and 16 rebounds. For the weekend, Landry averaged a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

We will have a few days of practice, enjoy some turkey and then hit the road again for two more games. Be sure to check back to find out the entire inside scoop on UNA Lion Basketball.