The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Alabama State
Blazers Edge Alabama State, 51-47
12/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2008
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB junior forward Tamika Dukes recorded a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds as the Blazer women's basketball team topped Alabama State, 51-47, Monday evening at Bartow Arena during the first day of the Blazer Invitational.
UAB's victory put the Blazers in the championship game of the Blazer Invitational. UAB (3-6) will face Georgia State (4-2) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT for the tournament title.
Georgia State earned its way to the championship game after defeating Louisiana-Lafayette, 68-58, on Monday. Alabama State (1-6) and Louisiana-Lafayette (1-8) will play in the consolation game on Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT.
UAB and Alabama State both got off to a slow start, with the Hornets holding the one-point advantage at halftime, 19-18.
The two teams played each other within one possession of each other to open the second half, until Alabama State went up by six, 38-32, on a jumper by Britney Harris with 9:30 remaining in the game.
The Blazers responded with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes that put them up, 44-38, at the 5:20 mark. The Hornets pulled within two down the stretch, but UAB held on for the four-point win, 51-47.
"We didn't come out with a lot of fire tonight," said UAB head coach Audra Smith. "It took us a little while to get things going. It wasn't a real pretty win, but it's a win.
"Shots just weren't falling for us tonight. I told them that we had to be patient and the shots would start falling. They eventually did and things starting swinging in the right direction for us. We had the momentum going our way during the last minutes of the game."
UAB shot 24.5 percent for the game, including 15.4 percent in the first half and 34.8 percent in the second half. The Blazers were just 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) from three-point range, but hit 22-of-33 (69.7 percent) from the charity stripe.
Dukes tallied her second consecutive double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing a career-high 14 boards for UAB.
Sophomore guard Amanda Peterson hit a trio of three-point buckets and went 4-of-4 from the free throw line to pace the Blazers in scoring with 13 points. Junior guard Fatiha Salaam added 12 points on the night, led by 8-of-10 shooting from the charity stripe.
Alabama State shot 32.1 percent from the field for the game, including 50.0 percent (6-of-12) from beyond the arc. The Hornets went to the free throw line just 11 times, sinking five of their attempts (45.5 percent).
Erica Lumpkin was the lone player to score in double figures for Alabama State, going 5-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, for a game-high 14 points.
L'Teisha Holloway and Tandria Milton each added eight points for the Hornets, while Assunte Fulgham scored two points and pulled down a team-best seven rebounds.
All tournament games can be followed live on Gametracker by logging on to www.uabsports.com.
