The UNA men’s basketball team is gearing up for a highly anticipated rematch as they take on the Auburn Tigers on Nov. 18 at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama. This long-awaited rematch between the two teams, sparks excitement among players and fans. After a loss in their last meeting, the Lions are eager to get even and prove themselves against the team. The court is set for an intense battle.
UNA’s basketball team has three veterans who played in the Auburn game in 2021. Will Soucie (#0), Daniel Ortiz (#2), and Dallas Howell (#34) will once again go against the giant school that is Auburn. They get the chance to show how much they have improved and grown over the past few years. Soucie was not able to show off much in that game but this could be his moment to show Auburn what all he has to offer.
Ortiz had 26 minutes put into the game and managed to get five rebounds, two assists, and 12 points. Howell had 18 minutes, four rebounds, and seven points. Their stats from the game on Nov. 18th compared to these stats from 2021 will truly show just how much these three players have improved since Freshman year.
In an interview with Canin Jefferson (#4) he states, “Our goal is to really just go out there and compete. Play at a high level no matter who the opponent is. Just come out with a win.” “This team is a lot more connected,” he says, “which is big on the court. In practice there’s a lot more competition this year. Competing this year with this team is high, high energy and it works well for us in the game.” Auburn has defeated UNA in the past when they played against them in 2021 with a score of 44-70. Jefferson states, “I think we can win against any opponent when we buckle down, just stick to the fundamentals, and not really care who the opponent is. Power five or any lower division we just go out there and compete and stick to what we know best.” He also says, “I think we’re excited but we know the opponent. We know Auburn is a big school ,power five school, and they’re a pretty good team. I think we’re just excited for the moment.” Jefferson believes that the season is starting off good with a score of 3-0 so far.
So far UNA is dominating the court with a win streak of three. They could lose this streak to Samford on Nov. 15 at the CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall, but they have repeatedly shown their amazing teamwork, promising skills, and resilience these past few games. However, their upcoming game against Auburn seems to be their biggest challenge yet. Let us hope that they can pull through against Auburn in the end and finally even the odds with a score of 1-1. All eyes will be on the court as UNA looks to make a statement and secure a memorable win in this matchup.
