The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
Blazers Snatch Overtime Win At East Carolina, 73-69
2/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Junior Diamond Rogers and freshman Fatiha Salaam tallied five points each in overtime to give the UAB women's basketball team the win over East Carolina, 73-69, Thursday evening in Greenville, N.C. The Blazers bounced back from a 14-point, second-half deficit to earn the win and maintain a share of the Conference USA lead at 7-2 in league play.
UAB trailed East Carolina by double-digits during the first half of the second period, going down by as much as 14, 48-34, with 10:41 remaining in regulation. The Blazers cut into the Pirates' lead with an 11-2 run that spanned just over two minutes, to move within five, 50-45, with 8:02 left on the clock.
The Blazers continued to fight and finally caught up with the Pirates at the 1:44 mark, tying the game at 57-all on a free throw by Rogers. Rogers' second free throw gave UAB its first lead of the second half, 58-57.
Sophomore Britney Jones nailed a three-point bucket with 47 seconds to go in regulation to give UAB a four-point lead, 63-59. ECU's LaCoya Terry hit a jumper and a pair of free throws within the last 35 seconds of the game to tie it up at 63-all and force overtime.
The Blazers outscored the Pirates, 10-6, in overtime, led by Rogers and Salaam with five points each, to boost UAB to victory, 73-69.
Rogers garnered her second consecutive double-double, and her sixth of the season, with a game-high 20 points and 10 boards against the Pirates. Rogers also flirted with a triple-double by nabbing seven steals as well.
Senior Carmen Guzman extended her streak of consecutive double figure scoring games to 21 with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a quartet of treys. Salaam sank a trio of shots from beyond the arc to lead her to 14 points. Jones also scored in double figures for the Blazers with 12 points, while also contributing six steals and five assists.
Cherie Mills led East Carolina with 19 points, while Terry tallied 17 and Young sank 16 points for the Pirates. Nicole Days was ECU's leader on the boards with 10 rebounds against the Blazers.
For the game, UAB had the edge in shooting, hitting 39.3 percent of its shots, while East Carolina put 38.1 percent of its shots through the net. The Pirates held the advantage on the boards, 46-36, but UAB had better numbers in steals and blocks, with 15 and six respectively.
The Blazers continue their road trip as they travel to Huntington, W.Va. to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday in a 2 p.m. EST contest. The two squads both own 7-2 C-USA records and will be looking to knock each other from the top spot in the league.
