The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
UCF
Blazers Shoot Past UCF, 85-67
2/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2008
UAB vs. UCF box score 
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Final Stats
ORLANDO, Fla. - The UAB women's basketball team improved to 3-1 on the road in Conference USA by defeating the UCF Knights, 85-67, Thursday evening at the UCF Arena. The Blazers had four players score in double figures, led by senior guard/forward Diamond Rogers with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
UAB's record improved to 11-11 overall and 7-2 in conference play. UCF dropped to 8-14 overall and 1-8 in the league.
A tight battle throughout the first half that included four ties and seven lead changes left UAB with a four-point lead at the break, 36-32.
After UCF tied the game at 36-all in the opening minutes of the second half, UAB went on a 13-4 run that put the Blazers up by seven, 49-40, with 15:32 left on the clock.
UAB held on to a double-digit lead for the rest of the game, eventually topping the Knights by 18, 85-67.
"UCF is a talented, young team," said UAB head coach Audra Smith. "They came out ready to play in the first half and we had a hard time matching their intensity.
"We stepped up our energy in the second half and really started to get it done on the defensive end. Once we got some stops, things began to open up for us on the offensive side and we were getting more scoring opportunities.
"Every time we get a win on the road in this conference, it is big. We need to continue to focus and get ready for our game at Southern Miss on Saturday."
UAB shot 46.7 percent in the first half and 60.7 percent in the second half for an overall shooting percentage of 53.4 percent. The Blazers also went 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc and 16-of-21 (76.2 percent) from the charity stripe.
Rogers nabbed her second consecutive double-double, and her sixth of the year, by adding 10 rebounds to her 24 points. She also dished out a team-high seven assists on the night.
Senior guard Crystal McFadden scored 17 points for UAB, while junior guard Britney Jones and freshman guard Amanda Peterson added 11 each. Jones also had a team-high three steals against the Knights.
UCF hit 42.2 percent of its shots in the first half, but shot just 31.7 percent in the second half for 36.5 percent shooting for the game. The Knights went 12-of-15 (80.0 percent) from the free throw line, but sank just 1-of-16 (6.3 percent) from three-point range.
Emma Cannon paced UCF with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds. Marshay White scored 15 points and Tia Lewis tallied 10 points and 15 boards for the Knights.
UAB will be back in action on Saturday when they play at Southern Miss. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT in the Reed Green Coliseum.
