The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Begins Three-Game Homestand On Wednesday Night vs. SMU
1/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2011
UAB Game Notes
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team will begin a three-game homestand against Conference USA teams on Wednesday night when it welcomes SMU to Bartow Arena for a 7 p.m. tip. The two teams will square off for the eighth time in series history, with the Blazers holding a 5-2 edge in the series, including three-consecutive victories over the Mustangs.
UAB and SMU have played some very close games as of late. Three of the last four contests played between the two teams have been decided by four or fewer points, including last year's dramatic 63-62 come-from-behind victory for the Blazers at SMU.
UAB will also play home contests against Memphis on Saturday (6 p.m. CT) and Marshall next Wednesday (7 p.m. CT). Saturday night's matchup against the Tigers has been designated as the Bartow Classic. The event, named in honor of legendary coach Gene Bartow, will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Furthermore, UAB Athletics will donate $2 for every ticket sold (excluding season tickets) to the Coach Gene Bartow Fund For Cancer Research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Bartow has been battling cancer since being diagnosed in April of 2009, and the fund was established in his honor at the first Bartow Classic in December of 2009.
Tickets for all three contests can be purchased by going online at UABsports.com or by calling the UAB athletic ticket office at 205-975-8221.
GAME INFORMATION
Jan. 19, 2011 • 7 pm CT • Birmingham, Ala. • Bartow Arena (8,500)
RADIO (Flagship: WUHT 107.7 FM): Blazer Sports Network
David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Mitchell (analyst) and Jon Gentile (engineer)
TV: None
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WEDNESDAY'S GAME
• Wednesday's contest marks the eighth meeting in series history between UAB and SMU. The Blazers hold an all-time advantage of 5-2 over the previous seven contests, including three consecutive wins over the Mustangs. Last season, the Blazers recorded their largest comeback in school history, erasing a 24-point deficit with 14 minutes remaining in the second half to sneak out a 63-62 victory in Dallas, Texas.
• UAB's dramatic win at SMU last year was the 13th-largest in college basketball history according to the NCAA record books, which tracks all comebacks of 21 or more points. It was also the ninth-largest second-half comeback, and overcoming a 12-point deficit with five minutes left tied for the fifth-best comeback.
• UAB senior guard Aaron Johnson set a career-high and tied the school's single-game record with 14 assists in the 100-97 triple overtime win vs. UTEP on Jan. 8. Johnson comes into Wedenesday's contest second in the nation in assists per game (8.2). The 2011 Bob Cousy Award nominee now has six double-digit assist games this season, which is also a new school record.
• Through 16 games, UAB is averaging 39.1 points in the second half and outscoring the competition by 7.1 points over the final 20 minutes (39.1-32.0). In comparison, the Blazers are putting up just 29.9 points and have a 0.1 advantage in the first half of games this season (29.9-29.8).
BLAZING BITS
• UAB head coach Mike Davis owns a 43-24 (.642) record in Conference USA contests. He has led the Blazers to at least 11 league wins in three consecutive seasons.
• Over the past four seasons (2007-pr.), UAB has an impressive record of 82-36 (.695). Coming into this year, the Blazers had collected 70 wins over the previous three seasons (2007-10), which averaged out to 23.3 wins a year over the last three years. The 70 victories is the best three-year stretch in terms of number of victories since winning 71 games from 1984-87 (71-31).
• UAB is now in the midst of its 33rd season of basketball during the 2010-11 campaign. The Blazers have had much success on the hardwood, boasting an overall program record of 655-379 (.633) - an average of over 20 wins per season (20.1).
About UAB
• UAB is coming off a 66-59 victory at East Carolina on Monday night, giving the Blazers (12-4, 2-1) their first league road win of the year. The Blazers trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, but made a big comeback, including a 10-0 run over a four minute span late in the game, to earn their 10th win in 11 games vs. the Pirates.
• During head coach Mike Davis' five seasons at UAB, the Blazers own a home mark of 58-10 (.852). Furthermore, over the last four seasons alone, the Blazers boast a record of 49-6 (.891) in games played at Bartow Arena. The Blazers are a perfect 8-0 at home this season.
• Senior point guard Aaron Johnson sat for all but three minutes in the second half in the win over ECU due to foul trouble. He currently ranks second in the nation in assists per game, with an average of 8.2. Johnson, who recorded 14 assists vs. UTEP (1/8) to set a career-high and single-game school record, now has racked up 131 assists and only 57 turnovers this season. He is also contributing 10.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest.
• Senior Jamarr Sanders leads the team and ranks fourth in C-USA with 18.4 ppg, while also averaging 4.5 rpg. He leads the Blazers with 45 three-pointers made.
• UAB junior Cameron Moore leads the team in rebounding (9.1) and is second in field goal percentage (.510) and scoring (17.0). Moore ranks second in the league in rebounding average, sixth in field goal percentage and seventh in scoring average.
• Sophomore forward Ovie Soko, who missed the East Carolina game due to a foot injury, is fourth on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.1 rpg).
• With the win at East Carolina, head coach Mike Davis improved to 97-52 (.651) during his five seasons at UAB, including an 82-36 (.695) mark over his last four years alone (including the 2010-11 season). He has a career mark of 212-131 (.618) in 11 seasons as a head coach at Indiana and UAB.
About SMU
• SMU enters Wednesday's matchup sporting a 10-7 overall mark and a 1-2 mark in conference play. The Mustangs lone conference win came at home with a 64-58 victory over then-No. 21 Memphis on Jan 12. Most recently, the Mustangs dropped a 70-68 nailbiter to Houston last Saturday at Moody Coliseum.
• Senior forward Papa Dia is the go-to guy for SMU, leading the team in scoring (17.6 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (.610). He leads the conference in field goal percentage, ranks fifth in scoring and third in rebounding. Furthermore, he is averaging 1.8 bpg (fourth in C-USA) and is an outstanding free throw shooter, knocking fown 83.0 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.
• Junior forward Robert Nyakundi is the only other Mustang player to average double figures, checking it at 16.7 ppg. He is one of the top three-point shooters in Conference USA, knocking down 53 treys on the year at a clip of 46.5 percent (53-of-114), which ranks second in the league. He also leads C-USA with 3.1 three-pointers made a game and a 91.5 free throw percentage, while contributing 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game.
• Freshman guard Jere Samarrippas leads the squad with an average of 3.2 assists a game, while also contributing 6.5 points per contest.
• As a team, the Mustangs are outscoring the opposition by 6.0 points a game (68.1-62.1), while shooting .480 from the floor and .398 from beyond the arc. SMU leads the league in free throw percentage (.762), three-pointers made a game (8.8) and three-point field goal percentage (.398) and ranks second in scoring defense (62.1). However, the Mustangs are last in scoring offense (68.1), three-point field goal percentage defense (.414) and rebounding margin (-3.1).
• Head coach Matt Doherty is in his fifth season at the helm of the SMU program and owns a record of 57-82 (.410). Doherty, who has coached at North Carolina and Notre Dame prior to coming to SMU, has a career record of 147-152 (.492).
Notes From East Carolina Game
• UAB's Jamarr Sanders scored 26 points as the Blazers rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half to defeat East Carolina 66-59 Monday night. The Blazers beat East Carolina for the sixth time in a row and the 10th time in the last 11 meetings.
• The game was a makeup from the originally scheduled date last Wednesday. It was postponed because UAB was unable to travel to Greenville due to winter weather that hindered the southeastern U.S.
• A team that has played better in second halves all season, UAB trailed by 12 with 16:19 to play as Erin Straughn's 3-pointer made it 39-27. The Blazers then went on an 11-2 run on the strength of three 3-point field goals, two by Sanders and one by Preston Purifoy, in a two-minute span to cut the margin to 41-38.
• After the final tie at 52-52, the Blazers went on an 8-0 run that put the Pirates away. Sanders' layup at the 5:56 mark gave UAB a 54-52 lead, Another layup by Sanders with 2:30 to play made it 60-52, and East Carolina came no closer than three points after that.
• UAB senior point guard Aaron Johnson, the nation's assist leader, was hampered by foul trouble for most of the game and finished with 10 points and three assists in 21 minutes. Cameron Moore added 16 points for the Blazers.
Last Year vs. SMU
• UAB stole a 63-62 victory at SMU on Jan. 16, 2010. The Blazers trailed 50-26 with 14:41 remaining in the contest when the furious rally began.
• The 24-point come-from-behind win ranked as one of the greatest comebacks in Division I history. It was the largest in the UAB annals and the 13th-largest in college basketball history according to the NCAA record books. It was also the ninth-largest second-half comeback and overcoming a 12-point deficit with five minutes left tied for the fifth-best comeback.
• Furthermore, it was the second largest come-from-behind win by a C-USA team. Charlotte had a 26-point comeback against Tennessee in November of 1995. It also set the record for a C-USA game.
• In the second half alone, UAB outscored SMU, 17-0, in points off turnovers; 18-8 in points in the paint and 8-0 in fast break points.
• UAB had nine turnovers and only four assists in the first half, compared to two turnovers and 10 assists in the second half.
• Of SMU's nine second-half turnovers, seven came in the final 9:56.
• The Blazers ended the contest by outscoring the Mustangs, 19-3, over the final 5:14.
No AJ? No Problem
• The most impressive thing about Monday night's victory at East Carolina is that Blazers did it with senior leader Aaron Johnson on the bench for all but three minutes in the second half due to foul trouble.
• The Blazers outscored the Pirates by 13 points during a 15-minute stretch where the UAB point guard was forced to sit on the bench with four fouls.
• Johnson finished the contest with season-lows of three assists and 21 minutes played, but also had 10 points. He also connected on 6-of-7 shots from the foul line, including going a perfect 4-of-4 in the final minute to seal the win.
Jamarr Is Jammin'
• Senior guard Jamarr Sanders has been one of the hottest players in Conference USA as of late.
• Over UAB's last six contests, the Montgomery, Ala. native has reached the 20-point mark in five of those games. During the stretch, Sanders is averaging 23.2 points a game, while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists a contest.
• Sanders is shooting 57.5 percent from the floor (50-of-87) and 51.1 percent from beyond the arc (24-of-47) over the six-game stretch.
• Against VCU, Sanders struck for a career-high 29 points, including 12 in the final five minutes, to pull out a 68-65 come-from-behind win. Over his last six contests, Sanders has scored 23 or more points in three of those games.
Did You Know...
• ...Freshman guard Quncy Taylor ranks second in Conference USA games only in steals, averaging 2.7 swipes per contest.
• ...Freshman Preston Purifoy has made seven-straight three-point field goals and leads the team in field goal percentage (.594) and three-point field goal percentage (.600).
• ...In league games only, senior guard Jamarr Sanders ranks at the top in three-pointers made a game (4.0), second in scoring (22.0), third in field goal percentage (.605) and sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.500).
Saving The Best For Second Half
• The Blazers are proving to be a second-half team this season.
• That was no more evident than UAB's second-half performance in the win over VCU on Dec. 21. In that contest, the Blazers trailed by 12, 33-21, at the half and by as many as 19 in the second half only to pull out an incredible 68-65 win. UAB outscored the Rams, 47-32 over the final 20 minutes.
• Through 16 games, UAB is averaging 39.1 points in the second half and outscoring the competition by 7.1 points over the final 20 minutes (39.1-32.0). In comparison, the Blazers are putting up just 29.9 points and have a 0.1 advantage in the first half of games this season (29.9-29.8).
• UAB has outscored its opponents in the second half in all but four contests this season (at Middle Tennessee, at Arizona State, at Duke and at Tulsa).
Second-Half Sensation
• A big reason for UAB's second-half surge this season has been the play of Jamarr Sanders.
• In UAB's 16 games this year, Sanders has averaged 6.1 points during the opening 20 minutes, going 35-for-90 (.389) from the floor and 12-for-41 (.293) from beyond the arc. However, over the last 20 minutes, he is averaging 12.3 points, connecting on 71-of-138 (.514) from the field and 33-of-73 (.452) treys.
• On the season, Sanders has recorded only four double-digit scoring performances in the first half, but has collected 14 double-digit efforts in the second half.
• Against VCU (12/21), Sanders scored 19 of his career-high 29 points in the second half, including 12 points over the last four minutes to help turn a 19-point second-half deficit into a 68-65 UAB win.
The Nation's Leader
• Senior point guard and 2011 Bob Cousy Award nominee Aaron Johnson has been leading the nation in assists per game for most of the season. He currently is in second in the country with an average of 8.2 assists a game, just 0.2 assists behind Scott Macahdo of Iona (8.4). The Chicago, Ill. native has racked up 131 assists with only 57 turnovers. He now has 556 career assists and needs only 42 more helpers to break the school record of 597, held by former UAB great Steve Mitchell.
• With 14 assists in the triple overtime win vs. UTEP on Jan. 8, the senior guard set his career high and tied the single-game school record, set by Jack Kramer back in 1990. He now has a school record six double-digit assist games this year.
• Johnson became the first player in school history to record three consecutive double-digit assist games. He had 10 assists at MTSU (11/17), 12 at Arizona State (11/20) and 12 vs. South Alabama (11/23).
• Johnson is also making his mark on the defensive end of the floor. A member of the C-USA All-Defensive team a year ago, Johnson leads the team with 28 steals and 25 charges drawn this year.
Minute-Men
• Two UAB players enter the SMU game averaging over 35 minutes a game.
• Cameron Moore (35.2 mpg) leads the league, while Aaron Johnson (35.1 mpg) ranks second in minutes played a game. Additionally, Jamarr Sanders' 33.8 minutes a game ranks 10th among C-USA players.
• Three Blazers played over 50 minutes in the triple-overtime victory over UTEP. Johnson and Moore led the team with 54 minutes, while freshman Quincy Taylor, who made his first career start, played 50 minutes.
Another Overtime Win
• With the triple overtime victory vs. UTEP on Saturday, UAB improved to 2-0 in overtime games this season and 9-4 in such contests under head coach Mike Davis.
• The contest marked just the fourth triple overtime game in program history, It was the first triple overtime game for the Blazers since a 102-95 victory over Alabama State on Jan. 3, 1995.
• The Blazers now own a record of 32-21 in overtime contests in program history.
Getting It Done In The Classroom
• Seven UAB men's basketball players earned at least a 3.0 grade point average during the fall semester, highlighted by Karl Moton's perfect 4.0 GPA.
• As a team, the Blazers boasted a GPA right at 3.0 during the fall semester.
Getting More Out Of "Moore"
• Junior Cameron Moore, who was named the C-USA Player of the Week on Dec. 6, is off to a sensational start this year, leading the team in rebounding (9.1) and ranking second in scoring (17.0 points) entering the SMU game.
• A recent ESPN.com article written by Jeremy Lundblad on Moore, who entered the year with an average of 3.1 points per game through his first two seasons, said that he "might just be the most improved player in the nation."
• Through 16 games, Moore has more points (272) than he had in his first two seasons (56 games) combined (171).
• The San Antonio, Texas native collected a career-best 29 points, including the game-winning three-pointer in the third overtime, to go along with 14 rebounds vs. UTEP (1/8).
• Entering this year, Moore had just three double-figure scoring contests and one double-double. However, he enters Wednesday's game having scored double figures in 15 of UAB's 16 games this season.
• Moore ranks second in the conference with eight double-doubles.
• Moore is not doing all his damage inside the paint, as he also has connected on 20-of-47 (.426) from beyond the arc this season.
Home Sweet Home
• UAB's Bartow Arena has always been a tough place for opponents to play, but that has been even more true over the past four seasons. Over that time, the Blazers have been nearly unbeatable, compiling a record of 49-6 (.891) at home.
• With a 79-44 win over George Washington on Dec. 27, UAB stretched its regular-season home win streak against non-conference opponents to 38 consecutive games.
• The last time UAB dropped a non-league regular-season game on its home floor was on Nov. 29, 2005 when UAB fell to Western Kentucky, 92-76.
• Even more impressive is the fact that UAB head coach Mike Davis has never lost a regular-season non-conference home contest during his five-year tenure in Birmingham. He is 32-0 in non-conference games played during the regular season at Bartow Arena.
