Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Jacob Tucker completed 12-of-27 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown and added 29 carries for 113 yards and a score to lead North Alabama (11-1) to a 23-13 win over Shepherd University (13-1) in semifinal action of the NCAA II Football Championship at Ram Stadium on Saturday.

Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when senior quarterback Jeff Ziemba (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) teamed with sophomore wide receiver Ryan Feiss (Forest Hill, Md./North Harford) on a nine-yard scoring pass with 7:09 left in the first quarter. Junior kicker Zach Wise (Berkeley Springs, W.Va./Berkeley Springs) added the extra point.

North Alabama cut the lead to 7-3 when Kevin Henke connected on a 36-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The Lions took a 10-7 lead when Jacob Tucker fired a 41-yard scoring pass to Dre Hall with 13:21 left in the second quarter.

Tucker scored on a five-yard run with 5:42 left in the secon quarter to extend the North Alabama lead to 17-7.

Wise kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:49 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 17-10 with 1:49 left in the second quarter.

UNA took a 20-10 lead into the break as Henke nailed a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Shepherd cut the lead to 20-13 when Wise hit on 21-yard field goal with 6:55 left in the third quarter.

Henke connected on his third field goal of the day with a 35-yarder with 2:40 remaining in the game to seal the win for the Lions.

Ziemba completed 11-of-28 passes for 112 yards for the Rams.

Senior wide receiver CJ Davis (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) led the Shepherd receivers with three catches for 43 yards. Hall had seven catches for 113 yards to lead the Lions.

Hlavach rushed 24 times for 95 yards to pace the Rams.

Shepherd gained 245 yards of total offense, while North Alabama totaled 387.

Senior free safety Tre Sullivan (Accokeek, Md./Gwynn Park) posted a game-high 12 tackles (nine solo) for the Rams. Senior linebacker Octavius Thomas (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach) added eight stops (seven solo). Eddrick Harris posted seven tackles (three solo) for the Lions.

The Lions advance to next Saturday's championship game against the winner of the Ferris State-Northwest Missouri State game.

Notes: Brown finished the season with 99 catches for 1,580 yards and 22 touchdowns … Hlavach finished the season with 1,217 rushing yards … Ziemba completed 251-of-385 passes for 3,627 yards and 32 touchdowns for the year … Shepherd is now 13-10 all-time in NCAA II postseason play ... Shepherd's 13 wins this year tie the program single season record set in 2015 ... Myles Humphrey tied the program single season with 23.5 tackles-for-loss (Howard Jones, 2011).