The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Play Host To C-USA Foe UCF On Saturday
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2009
UAB vs. UCF Game Notes | Gametracker | Watch
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB women's basketball team will look to hand UCF its first Conference USA loss of the season when it hosts the Knights on Saturday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Bartow Arena.
Saturday will be the 12th meeting between UAB and UCF on the hardwood. The Blazers have won 10 of the 11 previous matchups, including eight consecutive victories over the Knights.
UAB brings a 6-9 overall record into Saturday's game, including a 1-1 mark in conference play. After winning their league opening game at Memphis last Sunday, the Blazers fell to Southern Miss, 79-67, this past Thursday.
Senior guard Britney Jones is the Blazers' leader on the court and heads up a trio of guards averaging double figures this season. Jones has recorded 15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per outing for UAB. In addition, she has scored in double figures on 12 occasions this season, including three 20-plus point efforts.
Sophomore guard Amanda Peterson is UAB's best three-point shooter and is scoring 12.3 ppg this season. Peterson leads Conference USA and ranks 15th in the nation in three-point baskets per game with 2.8.
Junior guard Fatiha Salaam is adding 12.2 ppg overall to the Blazers' total this season, including a team-best 21.0 ppg in conference games. Salaam is also chipping in 2.6 boards, 1.4 steals and 1.0 assists per game.
UCF has a 4-11 record overall and a 2-0 record in C-USA games after earning wins over Southern Miss and Memphis to start its conference schedule.
Sophomore forward Emma Cannon leads UCF by averaging a double-double with 15.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Cannon is coming off a career-best game with 34 points and 20 rebounds in the Knights' 85-67 victory at Memphis this past Thursday.
UCF has two additional players averaging double figures, including sophomore guard Chelsie Wiley with 11.8 ppg and junior center Marcquitta Head with 11.0 ppg. Wiley is the Knights' top three-point threat, shooting 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from beyond the arc this season. Head also is a big contributor on the glass for UCF, pulling down 9.0 rpg on the year.
Saturday's game will feature the opening round of the third annual Books for Baskets program, a community service initiative that involves the UAB women's basketball program and UAB's School of Education. The program features children in grades 1-5 that will compete in a shootout to win books for their school. It is designed to promote and support literacy through reading, writing and sports.
In addition, the first 300 fans at the game will receive a free 2009 UAB athletics wall calendar and a reusable Publix shopping bag.
Fans can follow the game live on Gametracker, as well as watch and listen on All-Access, by logging on to www.uabsports.com.
