The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Lady Blazers Set To Take On Jacksonville State
12/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB women's basketball team returns to action, after taking the week off, traveling to Jacksonville, Ala., to take on the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State at 8 p.m. on Saturday in Pete Mathews Coliseum.
This will be UAB's second and final game of this season against an in-state rival. The Lady Blazers fell to South Alabama, 72-69, on Nov. 26.
UAB and Jacksonville State are facing each other for the seventh time in history, with the Lady Blazers holding a 6-1 advantage in the series. The two teams last played each other in a 80-77 UAB win at Bartow Arena on Nov. 26, 2002. The Lady Blazers have won the last three contests between the two teams.
Jacksonville State is 2-3 overall this season. Despite 21 points and 10 rebounds from Shanika Freeman, the Gamecocks fell to Birmingham-Southern, 65-55, on Dec. 6 in Birmingham in their last outing. Freeman leads the team in points and rebounds per game, tallying 19.4 points and 9.6 boards per contest. JSU is shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. Saturday's game will be the first home game of the season for the Gamecocks.
UAB placed third in the 2003 Unilever Tiger Tournament hosted by the University of Missouri last weekend after falling to Tulsa and defeating Alcorn State. In the opening game, the Lady Blazers had a 35-33 halftime lead over Tulsa, but was outscored in the second half and was defeated by the Golden Hurricane, 80-70. UAB was led by freshman Brittany Smith, who tallied 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. In the consolation game, UAB almost saw another halftime lead evaporate, but Smith's 13 second-half points led the Lady Blazers over Alcorn State, 59-49. Smith was named to the all-tournament team in recognition for her outstanding play.
