The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Basketball Set To Face Cincinnati
3/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2003
Men's Basketball Contact: Aaron Jordan
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB men's basketball team (16-9, 8-6 C-USA) will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Bearcats of Cincinnati on Wednesday, March 5, at 7:05 p.m. CST. The Blazers and Bearcats will be meeting for the 19th time.
Cincinnati enters Wednesday's contest with an overall record of 16-9 overall and is tied with the Blazers for fourth in the conference with an 8-6 record. There is a lot riding on this game as the winner is expected to have the inside track at the fourth first-round bye in the upcoming Conference USA tournament. Most recently, the Bearcats dropped a 67-48 decision at Memphis and have lost six of their last nine contests. For the season, the Bearcats are led by senior Leonard Stokes who is averaging 16.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. Field Williams (12.2) and Jason Maxiell (12.0) each average double figures in scoring, while Maxiell also leads the team in rebounds per game at 6.6 per contest.
The Blazers are coming off a 98-87 defeat at No. 10 Marquette which snapped a three-game win streak. Mo Finley led all scorers with 31 points on the night to raise his average to 18.2 ppg. Demario Eddins is the only other player to average double figures with 10.0 ppg on the season, while Gabe Kennedy is averaging 9.8 ppg. Sidney Ball continues to lead the team with 5.0 rebounds per contest. UAB has won four of its last six contests.
The Blazers and Bearcats will meet for the first time since March 8, 2001. The Blazers lost 73-70 in the C-USA tournament game. The Bearcats hold an all-time 12-6 advantage in the series' history, including winning the last seven consecutive contests. The last time UAB defeated the Bearcats was a 70-68 decision on Jan. 21, 1996 in Bartow Arena. The Blazers have defeated UC only once in Cincinnati, Ohio, that coming on Jan. 9, 1994 (67-65).
The game can be heard live on 1070 WAPI-AM, with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. CST. Gary Sanders will handle play-by-play, Matt Coulter will be the color analyst and Jon Gentile will produce the broadcast. The postgame show will follow immediately after the game. The game can also be accessed through the UAB athletic website at www.uabsports.com
