The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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UTEP
Blazers Drop 70-52 Decision At UTEP
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2009
EL PASO, Texas - UTEP's Stefon Jackson scored 30 points on senior night to lead the Miners past UAB, 70-52. The Blazers were led by senior Robert Vaden's 17 points on the night, as he was the only UAB player to reach double-figures.
"We just played with no energy," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "We came out in both the first and second half without having the sense of urgency we needed. UTEP was playing an emotional game and we couldn't match their intensity. We have to go back and take a good look at ourselves in the mirror after this game because there will be a lot at stake when we play (Marshall) Saturday."
The Blazers (20-10, 10-5 C-USA) began the game by missing their first six shots as the Miners jumped out to an early lead. However, the two teams would battle back and forth as the opening 20 minutes featured three ties and six lead changes, as UTEP took a 34-30 lead into the locker rooms.
UAB began the second half by scoring the first four points to even the score at 34 apiece with 18:48 left. The score would be the last time the two teams were tied.
With the Miners (18-11, 9-6) clinging to a 41-40 lead at the 16:06 mark, UTEP would go on a 10-0 run over the next 2:59 seconds to take a commanding 51-40 advantage. Jackson, who scored 22 points in the final half including 18 of the Miners' first 25 points in the second stanza, had five points during the spurt.
The Blazers never got closer than seven points the rest of the way, thanks in large part to UTEP's clutch shooting from the floor and the foul line down the stretch.
UAB shot a season-low 30.9 percent from the floor en route to its lowest scoring output of the year. The Blazers, which entered the contest as the top shooting team in the conference, connected on 25.0 percent and made only seven field goals (7-of-28) during the second half.
Sophomore guard Aaron Johnson added nine points, four rebounds and three assists in the losing effort, while junior Howard Crawford had eight points and seven boards.
UTEP's Julyan Stone had 12 points and nine boards, while Tavaris Watts chipped in with 10. The Miners finished the game shooting 43.1 percent on the night, marking the first time UAB has lost a game in the 17 contests when it held the opposition to under 45 percent shooting on the night (16-1).
The Blazers will look to bounce back in their final regular-season game when they take on the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday, at 2 p.m. CT. The contest will mark the final home game for UAB's five seniors: Mike Davis Jr., Paul Delaney III, Lawrence Kinnard, Channing Toney and Robert Vaden. The five seniors will be honored in a ceremony prior to the opening tip.
