The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Winning Streaks On Line When UAB Hosts Hampton
12/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2011
GameTracker | Watch Live | Game Notes 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- One team's winning streak must end Monday night when the UAB women's basketball squad hosts Hampton at 7 p.m. in a matchup of two teams on a roll.
The Blazers (7-2) are winners of six games in a row and haven't lost in a month. Meanwhile, Hampton (7-1) carries a five-game winning streak into Bartow Arena.
Monday's game will pit two of the top statistical defenses in the country against each other. They have been nearly identical to this point in the season with UAB allowing just 47.8 points per game and Hampton surrendering only 48.0.
Game Information
UAB vs. Hampton
Monday, Dec. 19 @ 7 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. (Bartow Arena)
Live Coverage
Gametracker live stats and Blazer Vision streaming video available at uabsports.com.
Series Information
• UAB and Hampton have met just once previously with the Blazers posting a 66-47 victory over the Lady Pirates at Bartow Arena on Dec. 19, 2006.
• Monday's contest comes exactly five years to the day since that first meeting between the teams.
• Hampton, the defending MEAC champion and preseason favorite this year, is one of two MEAC opponents on UAB's schedule. The Blazers will visit Florida A&M on Jan. 2.
About the Blazers
UAB puts its six-game winning streak and 7-2 record on the line Monday against Hampton in its final contest before a 10-day holiday break. The Blazers dispatched of Alabama A&M, 57-46, last Thursday behind a career-high 24 points from sophomore forward Karisma Chapman.
Junior guard Amber Jones leads the Blazers in scoring at 15.8 points per contest. Chapman scores 13.8 points per game, while senior guard LaShaunda Pratt -- the Conference USA 3-point leader -- adds 12.1 points per contest. Junior guard Khalilah Watson leads C-USA with a 2.5 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
UAB is limiting its opponents to 47.8 points per game and just 42.8 points per contest during its current six-game winning streak. The Blazers' defense is also forcing 19.9 turnovers per outing.
Scouting Hampton
Hampton has won five straight games and comes to Birmingham with a record of 7-1. The Lady Pirates, whose only loss came against Florida, haven't played since a 75-47 victory over UMBC on Dec. 10.
Like UAB, Hampton ranks among the national leaders with its defense. The Lady Pirates are allowing only 48.0 points per game while holding their opponents to 32.7 percent shooting and 22.5 percent ftom 3-point range.
Choicetta McMillian averages 16.6 points per game to lead three Hampton double-figure scorers. Melanie Warner tops the Lady Pirates with 7.1 rebounds per game, while Jericka Jenkins dishes out a team-best 5.9 assists per game.
Getting Started
• UAB enters Monday's matchup looking for its seventh straight victory. The last time the Blazers won seven games in a row came at the beginning of the 1994-95 season.
• At 7-2, the Blazers have matched the third-best start through nine games in program history. The 1981-82 and 1994-95 teams, which both opened 8-1, are the only UAB squads to start better.
• Dating back to last season, UAB has won 11 of its past 13 games and 18 of its past 24 contests.
• During its six-game winning streak, UAB is holding opponents to an average of 42.8 points and 33.0 percent shooting. Not one of the six opponents has scored more than 47 points or made more than 38 percent of its shots.
• UAB has three players averaging double-figure scoring: junior guard Amber Jones (15.8), sophomore forward Karisma Chapman (13.8) and senior guard LaShaunda Pratt (12.1).
• UAB is one of the top teams in Conference USA and nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 47.8 points per game for the season. The Blazers' 36 points allowed Nov. 26 against Western Kentucky matched the fewest given up by a UAB team since the 1996-97 season.
• The Blazers also rank among the national leaders in fewest turnovers per game at just 12.8. The Blazers' six turnovers against Chattanooga (11/11) were the fewest by a UAB team since a five-turnover performance versus Tulsa on Feb. 12, 2009.
• The Blazers fell just shy of a school record with 13 made 3-pointers in their game two weeks ago at UNCG (12/6). Guards Amber Jones and LaShaunda Pratt combined to make 10 of 12 shots from beyond the arc in that game.
• UAB has dominated the offensive glass, averaging 16.1 offensive rebounds per game, while limiting its opponents to 8.8 offensive boards per contest.
• Sophomore forward Karisma Chapman was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on Nov. 28 after averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals in the Blazers' two victories at the UAB Thanksgiving Classic.
• The Blazers are coming off their first 20-win season since the 2000-01 campaign after posting a 20-15 record last year. UAB returns nine letterwinners and five with starting experience from that team. UAB closed last season with four consecutive postseason wins (the first three on the road) to claim the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) title. The Blazers returned home to defeat Cal State Bakersfield in the tournament's championship game.
Best Start In 17 Years
With a 7-2 record so far, UAB is off to its best start through nine games since the 1994-95 season. That year the Blazers started a perfect 8-1 on the way to a 19-9 finish.
The Blazers' 7-2 record also matches the third-best start to a season through nine games in school history. The 1981-82 UAB team and the 1994-95 Blazer squad both got off to 8-1 starts, while five previous Blazer teams -- most recently the 1993-94 group -- also started seasons with seven wins in their first nine contests.
Defense Key To Six In A Row
UAB has won six consecutive games thanks largely to its effort on the defensive end of the floor. UAB's defense has been a strong point throughout the early part of the season, but it has been especially dominant over the past six games during the winning streak.
UAB has held opponents to 42.8 points per game and is limiting them to 33.0 percent shooting during the streak. Not one of the six opponents has scored more than 47 points against the Blazers, and UAB has out-scored the opposition by 18.8 points per game during the streak. Four of the six wins have come by at least 22 points.
Taking Care Of The Basketball
UAB ranks among the national leaders (fourth in the most recent NCAA stats) in fewest turnovers per game at just 12.8.
UAB has recorded 10 or fewer turnovers in four of its first nine games, including just six in the season opener against Chattanooga (11/11) and seven against Western Kentucky (11/26).
The six turnovers against Chattanooga were the second-fewest by a UAB team in head coach Audra Smith's eight-year tenure at the school and the fewest turnovers for the Blazers since they gave the ball away just five times against Tulsa on Feb. 12, 2009.
Productive Point Guard
Junior guard Khalilah Watson has been one of the best at protecting the basketball for UAB this season. The junior guard has dished out a team-high 32 assists and turned the ball over just 13 times for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 to 1, which is the best in Conference USA.
Watson has not had more turnovers than assists in any game this season, and her turnover total has matched her assist total just twice. Her highest turnover output is three at Morehead State (11/30), while she posted a season-best five assists against both Western Kentucky (11/26) and Austin Peay (12/3).
Watson has made significant improvements in both areas this season. As a sophomore last year, she averaged 2.3 assists and 3.0 turnovers per game.
Kleist Coming On
After coming off the bench for the first three games, junior forward Michaelea Kleist has found herself in the starting lineup in each of the past six games.
Kleist, a transfer from Volunteer State CC, has really come on over the past four contests, averaging 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the wins over Morehead State, Austin Peay, UNCG and Alabama A&M. Kleist's five blocked shots against UNCG (12/6) are the most by a UAB player this season.
Dominating Defense
Coming off one of the best defensive seasons in Conference USA history, UAB has been even stingier so far this year.
The Blazers have surrendered just 47.8 points per contest and rank fourth in the nation in scoring defense in the latest NCAA statistics. UAB has held seven of its nine opponents to 47 points or fewer. The 36 points scored Nov. 26 by Western Kentucky matched the fewest allowed by the Blazers since the 1996-97 season. UAB also surrendered just 36 points last season against Tulsa.
Last season, the Blazers' 55.3 points allowed per game set a school record and broke the Conference USA record by a full point. UAB's 56.1 points allowed in C-USA games also set a league record. The Blazers finished the season ranked 25th in the nation in scoring defense.
Forcing Turnovers
After forcing double-digit turnovers in all 35 games last year, UAB has caused at least 10 turnovers in every game this season, including 28 against East Tennessee State (11/18) and Morehead State (11/30).
The Blazers have currently forced their opponents into double-digit turnovers in 132 straight games. The last time a UAB opponent turned the ball over fewer than 10 times was Hartford (eight) on Nov. 23, 2007. The 30 turnovers UAB forced against Marshall last season on Jan. 30 were the most in C-USA last year and the most by a UAB team since the 1994 season.
This season, UAB has created 64 more turnovers than the opposition (179-115). In 2010-11, the Blazers forced 115 more turnovers than they committed (644-529).
Earning Second Chances
Through nine games this season, UAB has snagged 145 offensive rebounds (16.1 per game). The Blazers have posted double-digit offensive boards in all nine games and reached 20 offensive rebounds twice -- 23 against Alabama A&M (12/15) and 20 versus McNeese State (11/19).
Sophomore forward Karisma Chapman has been the leader on the offensive glass, where she has snagged 29 of her 54 total rebounds. Senior center Meagan Brown has logged 27 of her 57 boards on the offensive end, while junior guard Amber Jones has collected 18 of her 29 rebounds on the offensive glass.
Getting More Shots
UAB's prowess at forcing turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds has led to more scoring opportunities for the Blazers. Through nine games, UAB has attempted 121 more shots (522-401) than its opponents for an average of 13.4 more attempts per game. McNeese State (11/11) is the only opponent to get more shots off than UAB, taking 59 shots to the Blazers' 57.
Pratt From Long Range
Coming into the season, senior guard LaShaunda Pratt had never made more than three 3-pointers in a game. Through nine games this year, she has already surpassed that twice.
Pratt hit five treys on her way to a career-best 24 points earlier this season at McNeese State (11/19) and topped that at UNCG (12/6) when she hit a career-best six 3-pointers in just seven attempts.
For the season, Pratt has connected on 26 of 66 attempts (.394) from long range, ranking first in Conference USA and among the top 30 nationally with 2.9 treys per game.
Jones Picks Up Where She Left Off
So far this season, junior guard Amber Jones leads the Blazers with an average of 15.8 points per game. She has led UAB in scoring six times already, including Dec. 6 at UNCG when she erupted for a career-high 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Jones is the leading returning scorer for UAB after averaging 12.5 points per game last year as a sophomore. She developed into the Blazers' top scorer down the stretch in 2010-11, raising her average to 15.3 points per game over the final 13 contests. The guard was even more productive over the final six games, averaging 17.5 points during the closing stretch. She finished the season with 27 double-digit scoring performances and topped the Blazers in scoring in 13 games.
Frosh Sensation Now Soph
Sophomore forward Karisma Chapman is also continuing to develop after a 2010-11 season in which she was a C-USA All-Freshman Team selection. A strong all-around player, Chapman is averaging 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game this season. She logged her first double-double of the season and the third of her career with 11 points and 11 rebounds at UNCG (12/6).
Last year, Chapman didn't score 10 points in a game until late January but then closed the year with 10 double-digit scoring performances in the last 17 games. She averaged 10.8 points per game over that stretch and closed the year with an average of 8.0 points to go along with a pair of double-doubles in her rookie campaign.
Doing Damage From Downtown
UAB averages 7.0 3-pointers per game as a team to rank first in Conference USA, while senior guard LaShaunda Pratt tops the league individually with 2.9 treys per contest. The Blazers knocked down 13 in a single contest against UNCG (12/6), including six by Pratt.
Last season, UAB topped C-USA in 3-pointers per game, as well. The Blazers averaged a league-leading 6.2 treys per contest, knocking down a total of 216 for the season, the second-most in UAB history and just three shy of the 2006-07 school-record total of 219. The Blazers matched a single-game school record with 14 treys against Manhattan on March 24 in the WBI semifinals. Graduated guard Amanda Peterson set a school and Conference USA record with 103 treys a year ago.
Transfers Making Impact
Junior college transfers Michaelea Kleist and Kelsie Weynand are both making an impact in their first season at UAB.
Kleist has impacted games on both ends of the floor for the Blazers. The forward averages 24.7 minutes per game, has started the past six contests and logs 4.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per night. Weynand has provided UAB with key outside shooting. The guard is averaging 4.9 points per game and ranks third on the team with 11 made 3-pointers.
Kleist came to UAB from Volunteer State (Tenn.) Community College, where she averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last year. Weynand joined the Blazers after an all-region sophomore season at St. Petersburg (Fla.) College, where she averaged 13.4 points per game last year.
Block Party
The Blazers have also improved so far on an exceptional 2010-11 season in terms of blocked shots.
UAB's 3.3 blocked shots per game last year were the second-most in school history, but the Blazers have topped that so far this year, averaging 5.0 blocks over the first nine games. The school record for blocks per game in a season is 3.4, set during the 1998-99 campaign. UAB is 1.6 blocks per game ahead of that school-record pace.
Three Blazers this season are averaging at least one block per game: Michaelea Kleist (1.6), TaRonda Randall (1.2) and Meagan Brown (1.0).
