With tourney near, UNA still in flux
FLORENCE — Tony Pujol’s message was rather simple. It was best that way. Especially when directed to not only his plates, but a larger audience he was hoping to include.
“I want these guys to know that everybody’s still behind them,” the North Alabama coach said after Wednesday’s 82-73 loss to West Georgia. “… The amount of people that continue to come out to support this group, it’s pretty amazing. They want to experience everything with these guys, good or bad.
“… I’m grateful that they’re not fair-weather fans. They want to go through the whole journey. I’m very thankful for that.”
It’s been quite a journey this season. And while not over just yet, it’s been one filled with more bad than good. Or at least frustration and groans and head scratching rather than cheering and celebrating. That’s the way it’s played out.
Pujol compared it to a game of Whac-A-Mole. Address one issue and another pops up to take its place. Time after time after time.
Nothing illustrated that better than the first three days of last week.
The poor offensive showing that featured a season-high 19 turnovers in the seven-point loss to Central Arkansas on Feb. 9 was replaced with defensive lapses against West Georgia.
The Wolves shot 50% overall and from the 3-point range. Both were their fifthhighest outputs this season. It was the ninth time an opponent hit that field-goal percentage against the Lions this season and the fifth time from 3.
West Georgia led for almost 38 minutes and by as many 11 points four different times in the second half.
“We’re kind of going through it as a team right now, just trying to figure it out,” senior forward Donte Bacchus said. “… We just talked about the same things. It’s just the small things we beat ourselves with every game.”
That’s really the frustrating part.
UNA (7-17, 2-11 ASUN) can’t seem to stop itself, let alone help.
“Our league is a onebid (NCAA tournament) league, right?” Pujol said. “Do I want to win every single game that I play? One-hundred percent. Do I want to win a conference championship like we did last year? One-hundred percent. I want to do that. But what I want more than anything right now is to have these guys ready to go once March 3 rolls around. You’ve got to get them ready.”
UNA will have some kind of postseason, no matter how the final five regularseason games play out, with the ASUN bringing all 12 of its teams to Jacksonville for the event.
