FLORENCE, Alabama — This weekend will kick off the battle of the North's as the lions travel down to North Florida Friday afternoon. The University of North Alabama is heading into the weekend on top of the ASUN conference rankings with a 5-2 record.
"Every game is going to be a war in this league," said UNA Head Coach Tony Pujol.
The Lions are coming off a sweep against Jacksonville University last weekend. One player who lead the lions to the victory was sophomore forward, Mervin James. James scored 16 point and pulled down 14 rebounds. He followed with an 18-point, 12-rebound performance the next day and finished with weekly totals of two steals, two assists and a blocked shot.
James is just one of several players making an impact on the team. Pujol said the entire team is performing as a unit, which has helped the team be successful.
The lions are 12 games into the season and have been healthy throughout most of it. Pujol said his team has done an excellent job of staying focused on health outside of the gym.
"My wife is on top of them everyday, texting them, and she'll make sure they are in their rooms with the Lysol and everything," Pujol added.
Though the pandemic has changed a lot for teams this season, Pujol is not letting that define his team. One player in particular, Emmanuel Littles, helps remind him that his team can overcome anything. Littles spent a year and a half homeless, without his family at the young age of 13. Overcoming that struggle alone has inspired Pujol to make sure he helps Littles makes a dent in the world.
"That's the profession that I'm in. I'm not in this profession to just coach basketball, our profession is to grow people and to me that's what we've done with him."
The lions travel to North Florida to play Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 4pm.