Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-No. 3 seed North Alabama used a 20-7 run in the middle of the first half to take a commanding lead, and they held on for a 79-73 win over the Christian Brothers University Bucs in the Gulf South Conference championship game Sunday afternoon.

The Lions (22-9) never trailed, and the 20-7 run, capped by a pair of Wes Long free throws with 7:46 remaining in the first half gave them a 28-13 lead.

The Bucs (18-11) clawed back into the game in the second half. A Cory McArthy (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers College HS) layup sparked a 9-2 run that brought them within a 50-48 score on two McArthy free throws with 11:53 remaining. UNA's Rashaun Claiborne, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, scored six straight to spark a 14-4 run that lifted the Lions to a 64-52 lead with six minutes remaining.

The Bucs had one more run in them. Trey Casey (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle HS) started it with a deep three, and McArthy capped what became a 15-5 run with a pull-up jumper that brought the Bucs back within a 69-67 score. UNA out-scored the Bucs 8-4 in the final 1:18 to preserve the victory, however.

Sall scored a team-high 17 for the Bucs, adding six rebounds. McArthy scored 16, and Harry Green (Memphis, Tenn./White Station HS) scored 15 with four steals. Casey added 11.

Claiborne scored 28 points with eight rebounds and four steals, and Bruce Adams scored 17.

For the game, the Lions shot 50 percent (25-of-50) to the Bucs' 47.3 percent (26-of-55). CBU out-rebounded UNA 30-27, including an 11-8 edge in offensive rebounds, but the Bucs committed 12 turnovers to the Lions' eight.

CBU seniors Green and McArthy earned spots on the All-Tournament team, joined by UNA's Adams and Claiborne, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Delta State's Willie Readus and Valdosta State's Jeremy McKay.