CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — Alexsandra Alvarado scored 23 points and India Howard added 18 as North Alabama pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back, defeating Queens 71-55 in an ASUN Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Levine Center.

The Lions, who led by just three points after the first quarter, used a decisive 21-10 second-quarter run to build a 38-24 halftime advantage. The Royals could not mount a sustained challenge after the break, never cutting the deficit to single digits in the second half.

North Alabama improved to 12-10 overall and secured a regular-season sweep of Queens, having also won 63-60 in Florence, Alabama, on Jan. 22. The Royals fell to 8-15.

The game’s most important sequence came during the second quarter, when the Lions turned a slim 17-14 lead into a commanding 14-point halftime cushion. With the offense stalling early in the period, Alvarado ignited the run with a 3-pointer. She then assisted on a Jazzy Klinge layup before later adding a driving layup of her own. The Lions’ defense was equally pivotal, holding Queens to just 4-of-15 shooting in the quarter and forcing six turnovers, which North Alabama converted into eight points. A late layup by Howard just before the halftime buzzer, assisted by Greta Ramon, punctuated the dominant stretch and effectively put the game out of reach.

Alvarado, a 5-foot-7 guard from Richmond, California, was the catalyst throughout, adding four rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal to her game-high point total in 37 minutes. She has now scored at least 18 points in four consecutive games. Howard, a 6-foot forward from Coppell, Texas, provided efficient interior scoring, making 8 of her 12 field goal attempts while grabbing five rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench.

Sofia Ceppellotti, a 6-1 forward from Udine, Italy, contributed 12 points and four rebounds for the Lions. Klinge, from Overland Park, Kansas, filled the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

North Alabama’s victory was built on superior shooting and interior dominance. The Lions shot 50% from the field, making 27 of 54 attempts, while Queens struggled to a 33.9% clip, connecting on just 21 of 62 shots. The Lions also owned the paint, outscoring the Royals 36-26, and capitalized on their opportunities at the free-throw line, making 12 of 14 attempts.

Queens was led by Hannah Hicks of Cleveland, Ohio, who posted nine points and nine rebounds. Brenae Jones-Grant of Plainfield, New Jersey, provided a spark off the bench with 10 points. Magda Freire and Ana Barreto, both from Lisbon, Portugal, added eight and three points, respectively.

The Royals, who entered the game with the nation’s 349th-ranked offense according to advanced metrics, confirmed those struggles by scoring just 55 points on 72 possessions, an offensive rating of 76.1. North Alabama was more efficient, posting a 96.4 offensive rating.

The announced attendance was 228.

North Alabama will look to build on the win when it travels to face Central Arkansas on Monday. Queens, mired in a three-game losing streak, will next play at Austin Peay on Thursday.