The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
UAB Prevails Over ECU With Clutch Foul Shooting
1/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2012
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The UAB women's basketball team overcame its worst shooting performance of the season Sunday at East Carolina thanks to its hallmark defense and some clutch free throw shooting in a 44-39 win.
The Blazers shot 18 percent for the game, made just three second-half field goals and went nearly the final nine minutes without a basket but managed to maintain the slim lead they grabbed right after halftime.
A 61 percent free-throw shooting team for the season, UAB knocked down 21 of 26 foul shots Sunday, including 17 of 20 in the second half. Senior guard LaShaunda Pratt made seven of UAB's eight free throws in the final 2:10 as the Blazers held on for their first win in their last five trips to Minges Coliseum.
UAB (11-3, 2-0 C-USA) prevailed in its first Conference USA road test to win for the 11th time in its past 12 games. East Carolina (6-9, 0-2 C-USA) suffered its second loss to open league play.
UAB sophomore forward Karisma Chapman was the only player for either team to reach double figures with 11 points. Pratt finished with nine points and added a career-high 10 rebounds to fall just short of her first double-double.
Junior guard Nakia McDaniel also scored nine points for the Blazers, coming off the bench to knock down three key 3-pointers and help to open things up on the offensive end against ECU's challenging zone defense.
"Give a lot of credit to East Carolina," UAB head coach Audra Smith said. "Their zone really stumped us. They switched up from a 1-3-1 to a 3-2. They threw a little triangle and two at us. We worked on that, but that's just something we're not accustomed to seeing and it kind of threw us off."
McDaniel's trey at the 8:58 mark put UAB on top 35-30 and proved to be the Blazers' final field goal of the game. East Carolina cut UAB's lead to one at 36-35 two minutes later and nearly grabbed the lead at the 2:42 mark, but Tatiana Chapple's 10-foot bank shot went in and out.
On the next trip down the floor, Pratt grabbed an offensive rebound, got fouled and hit a pair of free throws. UAB foul shooting the rest of the way was the difference.
East Carolina had one final gasp on its last possession, trailing 42-39, but UAB withstood two looks at the basket for the Pirates and then tacked on two more free throws on the other end for the final margin.
"Thank goodness for our free throw shooting and Nakia McDaniel," Smith said. "I can't say enough about Nakia for knocking down those huge 3-point shots. She saved us today. She doesn't always get a lot of playing time, but she's a key role player for us. When she gets in there, she can knock downs some 3's, and she did a phenomenal job of that today."
Britny Edwards led East Carolina with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Chapple added eight points. ECU shot 27.6 percent for the game and made seven more shots from the floor than UAB but became the fourth Blazer opponent of the season to score fewer than 40 points.
UAB junior guard Amber Jones added eight points and matched her career-high with eight rebounds, and junior forward Michaelea Kleist also grabbed eight boards.
The Blazers will return to action Thursday in Birmingham, hosting UCF with a 7 p.m. CT tipoff at Bartow Arena.
