North Alabama Basketball: Lions Host Eastern Kentucky at Flowers Hall — Game Time and What to Watch
The North Alabama men’s basketball team returns to Flowers Hall on Sunday, Feb. 15, hosting Eastern Kentucky in a Sunday afternoon Atlantic Sun clash. Tipoff is set for 4 p. m. ET and the game will air on ESPNU. The matchup pits two teams looking to climb in the ASUN standings and stabilize a season marked by inconsistency.
Men's matchup preview: streaks, stars and immediate storylines
Eastern Kentucky (9-17, 5-8 ASUN) will try to end an eight-game road losing streak when it visits North Alabama (7-17, 2-11 ASUN). The Colonels arrive off a 75-61 defeat at Lipscomb, a game in which MJ Williams led the way with 14 points, five assists and three steals while Turner Buttry added 12 points, hitting 4-of-6 from long range. EKU’s recent results have exposed defensive lapses and inconsistent offensive output on the road.
North Alabama is coming off an 82-73 home loss to West Georgia. Donte Bacchus paced the Lions with a dominant 26 points and nine rebounds, shooting 62. 5 percent from the floor, while Kevin de Kovachich chipped in 20 points with a pair of triples. Those performances highlight North Alabama’s ability to generate scoring from individual scorers, even as team defensive issues have surfaced at times this season.
Sunday’s game will be decided by which team controls the glass and limits transition opportunities. Eastern Kentucky needs more efficient perimeter defense to prevent North Alabama’s scorers from getting easy buckets, while the Lions must find ways to contain EKU’s ball handlers and convert on second-chance possessions.
Women's team update: Lions fall at EKU, look ahead to Bellarmine
The North Alabama women's team dropped a 73-56 decision at Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 14. The loss was the Lions’ third in 11 games and leaves them at 13-12 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The Colonels improved to 22-5 and 13-1 in ASUN play with the win.
North Alabama received 14 points and five rebounds apiece from sophomore Sofia Ceppellotti and senior Alexsandra Alvarado. Alvarado notched her 16th double-digit scoring outing of the season while Ceppellotti recorded her 12th. Freshman Gabby Jackson led the team with four assists, and Alvarado added three steals. The Lions played better after halftime, outscoring the Colonels in the second half, but the deficit they allowed in the first half proved too large to overcome. India Howard provided the lone block for North Alabama.
The women’s squad heads to Bellarmine next with tipoff scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6: 30 p. m. ET. After that road trip the Lions close the regular season with home games on Feb. 21, Feb. 25 and Feb. 28, providing a chance to solidify seeding ahead of postseason play.
Keys to watch and what this game means
For the men’s teams, this matchup is an opportunity to halt negative trends and gain momentum down the stretch. North Alabama must lean on Bacchus and de Kovachich for consistent scoring while tightening perimeter defense and rebounding. Eastern Kentucky needs a road turnaround; ball security and limiting turnovers will be crucial if the Colonels hope to snap that eight-game road skid.
Individual matchups to monitor include Bacchus against EKU’s primary interior defenders and Williams’ ability to generate offense for the Colonels while distributing to shooters like Buttry. Special teams elements — free-throw shooting and offensive rebounds — could swing a close game in either direction.
With both programs juggling roster rotations and searching for late-season form, Sunday’s meeting is likely to carry outsized importance in conference positioning and confidence. Fans should expect a competitive, physical contest with the potential for late-game drama as both clubs push to define their finishes to the regular season.
