The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
Williams' Heroics Lifts UAB Over Rice, 61-60
1/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2012
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HOUSTON (AP) - Robert Williams hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and UAB rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to defeat Rice 61-60 on Wednesday night.
"Our guys really fought hard," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "We started the game in a huge hole and really gave a lot of energy to get back in the game. I thought Cam and Preston played huge for us in the second half."
Williams' game-winner came after Connor Frizelle's 3-pointer had given Rice a 60-58 lead with 8 seconds left. Frizelle, who scored 17 points, had eight of the Owls' nine points in overtime.
"I guess all of the attention went to Jordan (Swing)," Williams said about the game's final play. "He saw me and I saw one second on the clock. I knocked it down, man. I'm going to tell you this, it felt real good. When I let it go, I was like 99 percent it was going in.
"I tell you, I was in tears. I was kind of overwhelmed because it's been an up-and-down season. For us to get that first win, ain't no better way to get it," Williams said.
Cameron Moore led UAB (6-11, 1-3 Conference USA) with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Preston Purifoy added a career-best 18 points for the Blazers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Dylan Ennis scored 13 points for the Owls (11-8, 2-2), including a layup with 36 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 51 and forced overtime.
Rice led 39-22 early in the second half and was still ahead 47-37 with 9:15 left in the game. But the Blazers scored 11 straight points to take the lead and were ahead 51-49 before Ennis' game-tying shot.
Ovie Soko, who is averaging 9.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game, missed the contest due to an undisclosed injury.
The Blazers will return home next when they host the UCF Knights on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.
