The men’s basketball team ended their season Sunday night after falling to No. 8 seed Tuskegee University 93-87 in the semifinals of the NCAA South Regional in Lakeland, Fla.

The Lions got off to a slow start for the second night in a row, but this time they were unable to complete the comeback. Tuskegee led by as many as 16 points and was able to hold on for the win, despite a late rally by UNA.

“I think we had a sense of urgency, since we came out slow in the first half,” said guard Rashaun Claiborne. “We knew we had to pick it up to get into the game.”

The Lions had an early 11-8 lead but the Golden Tigers took control of the game with a 20-9 run. Tuskegee had a 50-36 lead at halftime and would hold onto the lead for the rest of the game. UNA would not get any closer than three points in the second half.

“Tonight was not our best effort,” said head coach Bobby Champagne. “We battled and we played hard. It just wasn’t enough because Tuskegee played tremendous basketball.”

The Lions defeated Tampa 72-68 in a hard-fought battle Saturday, March 15. Tuskegee had previously pulled off the upset the night before by beating No. 1 seed Florida Southern University.

“I think they gained a lot of confidence from beating the No. 1 seed,” Claiborne said. “They were just the better team in our game and they did what they needed to win the game.”

Senior Bruce Adams led the team, scoring 21 points while making 11 out of 15 from the charity stripe. Claiborne had 18 points and 12 rebounds in his last game as a Lion. Guard Nathan Spehr also contributed 18 points, hitting four out of six from the three-point line.

UNA shot 43 percent from the field for the game and committed 14 turnovers with only 14 assists. The Lions also gave up 48 points in the paint.

Even though the season did not end how they would have wanted, Claiborne said he still felt it was a successful year.

“We did win the conference tournament and we did get a 20-plus win season,” Claiborne said. “We just fell short of a big goal, which was to win regionals.”

The Lions ended their season by winning 13 of the last 15 games they played.