FLORENCE, Ala. -- Jacksonville University will square off with the North Alabama Lions in the ASUN Tournament Semifinals today in Florence, Alabama. The two teams split their season series, each winning one game on its home court.
Jacksonville is coming off a comeback victory against Eastern Kentucky University, where the 'Phins won 78-67 in Swisher Gym Monday. This game marked the return of forward Stephon Payne III, who had missed the previous five games, including Jacksonville's second matchup against North Alabama.
North Alabama finished the regular season second in the ASUN with a strong 14-4 record and defeated Austin Peay in the first round of the ASUN playoffs. The Lions are among the hottest teams in the country, having won nine of their last 10 games. They have also been dominant at home, with a 15-1 record at CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall in Florence. The lone loss came in overtime by one point to Samford.
In their first matchup on January 16, the two teams engaged in a defensive battle with Jacksonville winning 64-60. The game featured 17 lead changes and seven ties. Jacksonville's defense was key, holding North Alabama to just 60 points—the fewest UNA scored in conference play all year.
Jacksonville had two players register double-doubles in that game: Stephon Payne III and Zimi Nwokeji. Both players had 10 rebounds, with Payne III contributing 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, while Nwokeji added 10 points with a trio of three-pointers.
Jacksonville's defense was impressive. In the first half, it held North Alabama to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc and forced two shot clock violations. At halftime, Jacksonville led narrowly, 30-28.
The second half started fast, featuring 10 lead changes before the second media timeout.
Ultimately, the Dolphins secured the victory against the Lions thanks to Payne's pair of offensive rebounds in the final minute. An offensive rebound and subsequent dunk extended Jacksonville's lead to three points which the Dolphins never relinquished.
The short-handed Dolphins, without Payne lost their second matchup against UNA, 92-79.
Jacksonville guards Chris Arias and Zach Bell were impressive, combining to shoot 8-9 from beyond the arc. Bell contributed 16 points to the game, while Arias added 17.
The Dolphins entered halftime trailing by nine points, following a 5-0 run by UNA in the final minute of the half.
Jacksonville narrowed the deficit to three points thanks to three consecutive three-pointers from Bell. However, UNA proved too strong in the paint, scoring 22 points underneath in the final 15 minutes.
Of UNA's last 45 points, 22 came from inside the paint and 14 came from the free-throw line. UNA secured its final 10 points of the game at the charity stripe.
The upcoming ASUN Showdown Semifinal Thursday night will pit Jacksonville's dynamic defense against UNA's high-scoring offense once more.
The key for Jacksonville is keeping UNA's score under 70 points. The Lions rely on offense and haven't won a conference game scoring in the 60s (0-3). Conversely, Jacksonville has a perfect 9-0 conference record when holding opponents under 70 points.
Currently, Jacksonville ranks second in the ASUN for points allowed, with opposing teams averaging just 68 points per game.
However, keeping this high-paced Lions offense under 70 points will be challenging, as North Alabama ranks second in the ASUN for points scored, averaging 80.1 per game. Their dynamic offense is led by Jacari Lane, who scored 31 points in UNA's win against Austin Peay on Monday.
Thursday's Semifinal matchup will tip at 6 p.m. CST and be broadcast on ESPN+. The winner will advance to the ASUN Tournament Championship against the winner of #1 Lipscomb and #6 Queens.
