North Alabama Claims 2014 GSC Men's Basketball Crown
GSC Men's Basketball
Birmingham, Ala. – The North Alabama Lions won the 2013-14 GSC Tournament Title at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday.
Christian Brothers entered the game having appeared in the GSC Title game for the third-straight season, while this was North Alabama’s first appearance in the championship since 2000.
The first half was in North Alabama’s favor as it built a lead and kept it the entire half. UNA set its biggest lead of the game at the 6:33 mark when it went up by 15. CBU managed to cut the lead down to 11 at one point, but the Lions took the lead into halftime, 39-26. Sidy Sall (CBU) and Rashaun Claiborne led all scorers at halftime with eight points each.
Christian Brothers came into the second half on a mission. The Bucs, in a pivotal point in the game, cut the lead down to two by the 12-minute mark on two big Cory McArthy free throws, but UNA posted a 6-0 run to go back up, 56-48, with nine minutes to go and built another 12-point lead with five minutes to go.
CBU would once again cut into the deficit with four minutes to go. Trey Casey drilled a big three and, after a steal, Sall would throw down a dunk, UNA 65, CBU 57, at that point. CBU again put the pressure on when it pulled within three with two minutes to go, but thanks to two Claiborne free throws, UNA increased the lead back to five. Despite numerous, valiant comeback efforts from CBU in the second half, UNA in the paint was too much. Final score: UNA 79, CBU 73.
Claiborne dropped a game-high 28 points, pulled down eight boards and got four steals in the game. Bruce Adams scored 17 with four rebounds for UNA. Green (15), McArthy (16), Casey (11) and, with a team-high 17 points, Sall, all scored in double figures.
The win marks the sixth all-time GSC Tournament Championship, including its first since 1996, for North Alabama. UNA will advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament as an automatic qualifier.
2013-14 GSC All-Tournament Team
Willie Readus, Delta State
Jeremy McKay, Valdosta State
Harry Green, Christian Brothers
Cory McArthy, Christian Brothers
Bruce Adams, North Alabama
Rashaun Claiborne, North Alabama (
Most Outstanding Player)