MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo men's basketball closes a three-game road trip with visits to Alabama Huntsville and West Alabama this weekend.
 
So Far This Season…
The Falcons enter the weekend tied for the second spot in the Gulf South Conference standings with a 6-1 GSC record and a 10-3 mark overall. Montevallo opened the season with a 93-81 win over Barry before falling to No. 2 Nova Southeastern in the GSC/SSC Crossover Classic in early November. UM continued its non-conference slate with a 99-92 win over Spring Hill on the road before topping Point, 83-69, on Nov. 18. The Falcons added a win over Carolina Christian on Nov. 20 before falling to Cumberland to close the nonconference schedule. The Falcons opened conference play with a six-game win streak sparked by a 75-60 win over Lee on Dec. 5 before taking down Trevecca Nazarene, 89-71, on Dec. 7. In the first GSC road trip of the season, Montevallo added a pair of wins over Delta State and Mississippi College. The Falcons returned home for a 70-66 win over Christian Brothers on Dec. 19 before adding a 76-73 victory over Union on Dec. 21. Most recently, Montevallo dropped its first game back from holiday break at Auburn Montgomery on Jan. 4.
 
Montevallo ranks fourth in the GSC with an average of 81.9 points per game on a third-best 47.6-percent shooting mark and a 36.3-percent clip from long range. The Falcons have also shot well from the free-throw line with a team percentage of 74.6 percent from the stripe. On the glass, the Falcons average 36.0 rebounds per game with an average of 11.4 offensive rebounds per game which ranks third among conference leaders.
 
Brandon Fussell leads the team with an average of 19.2 points per game which is the fifth best in the league. The sophomore also ranks fifth in the league with 3.8 assists per game while leading the team with 29 steals on the season. Jaylen Curry ranks second on the squad with 15.7 points per game on a 46.6-percent shooting mark while also averaging a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game. Derek Moore also averages double-digit scoring figures with 11.9 points per game on an impressive 53.9 percent from the floor.
 
Scouting UAH: WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
The sixth-ranked Chargers sit atop the GSC standing with an unbeaten 8-0 conference mark and a 13-1 record overall. The Chargers opened the season with a 105-104 overtime loss to No. 2 Nova Southeastern before topping Barry, 81-63, in early November. UAH then hosted Point in an 89-62 win before added wins over McKendree and Missouri-St. Louis to close the nonconference schedule. UAH opened the league schedule with an 88-83 win over Trevecca Nazarene before topping Valdosta State, 108-87, on Dec. 7. The Chargers went on to add a road win over Lee on Dec. 14 before taking down Mississippi College, 101-71, on Dec. 19. In the Charger's most recent home game, UAH defeated Delta State, 87-67, on Dec. 21. To open 2025, UAH went on a road trip for wins over Union on Jan. 2 and Christian Brothers in their most recent outing.
 
The Chargers rank second in the GSC with an average of 89.4 points per game while allowing just 71.6 for a GSC-best 17.8 scoring margin. UAH is also the top shooting team in the league with a 52.5-percent clip from the floor and a 40.2-percent mark from downtown with an average of 11.1 threes per game. The Chargers are one of just three teams in the GSC to average 39 or more rebounds per game with a 6.1 rebounding margin on the season.
 
Tommy Murr leads UAH with 19.7 points per game on a 54.1-percent shooting mark and a 45.0-percent clip from long range while also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists. Luke Burnett follows closely behind with 17.5 points per game on a GSC-leading 3.9 three-pointers per game. Daniel Saylor is one of the GSC's top rebounders with 8.9 per game while scoring 12.1 points per game with Blake Campbell rounding out the Chargers' double-digit scorers at 15.9 per game.
 
Series History Against UAH:
In the Falcons' Div. II history, UAH holds the series lead with a 21-16 record against the Falcons. Since rejoining the GSC ahead of the 2016-17 season, the Falcons are 3-10 against UAH with a six-game losing streak from 2018-2021. Montevallo's last win in the series came on Nov. 26, 2022, with an 89-70 Montevallo victory. Most recently, UAH defeated the Falcons, 86-70, on Jan. 24, 2024.
 
Scouting UWA: WATCH | LIVE STATS
The Tigers enter the weekend with a 9-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play after opening the season with a loss to Albany State before adding an 83-59 win over Central State on Nov. 10. UWA continued its nonconference slate with wins over John Melvin and Virginia Lynchburg before falling to Georgia Southwestern on the road on Nov. 20. The Tigers rebounded with a 72-60 win over Webster in the final game before GSC play. UWA dropped its conference opener to Valdosta State, 92-82, on Dec. 5 before topping West Florida, 64-56, on Dec. 7. The Tigers went on the road for a 68-67 win over Lee before falling to Trevecca Nazarene, 64-51, on Dec. 14. UWA returned home for a pair of wins over Delta State and Mississippi College on Dec. 19 and 21, respectively. In the first weekend of 2025, UWA fell to Christian Brothers, 63-61, before defeating Union, 77-68, in the Tigers' most recent outing on Jan. 4.
 
The Tigers are averaging just 71.5 points per game but boast the top defense in the league with a GSC-low 66.2 points allowed.  Despite a low scoring total from opponents, UWA allows its opposition to shoot 44.8 percent from the floor while shooting 42.8 percent from the field. UWA takes care of the ball with just 8.9 turnovers per game forcing 12.5 per game for one of the top margins in the GSC at 3.62. The Tigers rank second in the GSC with a 1.38 assist to turnover ratio with 12.3 assists per game.
 
UWA is led by Thaddeus Williams with 16.1 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting and 35.2 percent from long range while averaging a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game.  Jaylen Lemons ranks second on the team with 11.4 points per game while Rasean Frederick scores 11.2 points per game while averaging 5.1 boards. Marcellious Lockett rounds out the Tigers' double-digit scorers with 10.8 points per game.
 
Series History Against UWA:
Since 1998, Montevallo trails against its in-state rival with the Tigers holding a 22-15 record in the series. Since rejoining the GSC ahead of the 2016-17 season, Montevallo is just 2-9 against UWA with UWA taking an eight-game win streak from 2018-2022. In the last two seasons, Montevallo is 2-2 against UWA with the Falcons winning the most recent matchup, 7-65, on Jan. 17, 2024.