Blazers Continue Conference Play In Orlando

Feb. 11, 2012

Game Notes | GameTracker | Watch Live

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB women's basketball team is back on the road for a Sunday matchup at Conference USA foe UCF. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET in the second meeting of the season between the teams.

UAB (17-5, 8-2 C-USA), which defeated the Knights last month in Birmingham, is riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a 58-47 win over East Carolina on Thursday. UCF (10-12, 5-5 C-USA) has had a full week off since dropping its last outing at Memphis, 65-57.

GAME INFORMATION
UAB at UCF
Sunday, Feb. 12 @ 2 p.m. ET
Orlando, Fla. (UCF Arena)

LIVE COVERAGE
Gametracker live stats and UCF streaming video available at uabsports.com.

SERIES INFORMATION   
 UAB owns a 12-7 lead in the all-time series with UCF, including a 7-3 mark against the Knights in Orlando.

 The Blazers won 10 of the first 11 meetings in the history of the series, but the Knights have won six of the past eight contests.

 Sunday's meeting will be the fifth in the past two seasons for UAB and UCF, which met three times last season, including once in the Conference USA tournament.

 UAB snapped a four-game losing streak to the Knights in the teams' first meeting of the season on Jan. 12 when the Blazers posted a 61-54 victory in Birmingham.

ABOUT THE BLAZERS     
UAB rides a four-game winning streak into Orlando after defeating East Carolina, 58-47, on Thursday in Birmingham. The Blazers are off to their best start in 18 years with a 17-5 record and have matched their best-ever C-USA start at 8-2, good enough for a second-place tie in the league standings.

The Blazers moved up to second in the nation in scoring defense this week at 48.5 points per game. UAB is turning opponents over 19.8 times per game, while giving it away just 15.2 times on average -- the fewest in Conference USA. The Blazers are scoring 18.0 of their 56.8 points per game off opponent turnovers.

Karisma Chapman leads UAB in scoring with 14.0 points per game, followed by Amber Jones (13.8) and LaShaunda Pratt (11.4). Defensively, that trio has also accounted for 152 of the team's 228 steals this season.

SCOUTING UCF
UCF will be back in action for the first time since a Feb. 4 loss at Memphis. The defending C-USA tournament champion Knights have dropped three of their past four games and enter Sunday's contest at 10-12 and 5-5 in C-USA.

Aisha Patrick leads the UCF offensive attack with 13.9 points per game, followed by Gevenia Carter at 12.0. The Knights have two of the top six rebounders in C-USA in Erika Jones (9.9, 2nd) and Patrick (8.6, 6th).

The Knights are allowing only 58.9 points per game but scoring just 54.6 on average. UCF shoots nearly 40 percent from inside the 3-point line but just 19 percent from beyond the arc, where it averages just 1.6 made treys per game.

GETTING STARTED          
 The Blazers' 17-5 start to the season matches the best ever for UAB, while their 8-2 record to open league play ties the best in their Conference USA history.

 Dating back to last season, UAB has won 21 of its past 26 games and 28 of its past 37 contests.

 UAB enters Sunday's game versus UCF tied for second in the Conference USA standings with Memphis at 8-2 in league play, trailing only UTEP (10-0).

 UAB is the top team in Conference USA and second nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 48.5 points per game for the season. The Blazers also rank 26th in the country in blocks per game (5.2) and 36th in field goal percentage defense (35.4 percent).

 The Blazers own a 9-4 record away from home this season, including a 4-1 road mark in C-USA play.

 Senior center Meagan Brown ranks third all-time at UAB with 104 career blocks and is just four blocks away from matching second place on the list.

 UAB has four players ranked among the top 11 in C-USA in blocks per game -- Meagan Brown (1.4, 7th), TaRonda Randall (1.2, 8th), Michaelea Kleist (1.1, 9th) and Karisma Chapman (1.0, T-11th).

 The Blazers have forced 101 more turnovers than their opponents this year and are out-scoring opponents in points of turnovers by more than five per game (18.0-12.5).

 Junior guard Amber Jones became the 25th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points with her 11-point effort Jan. 26 at Tulsa. Jones now has 1,047 career points and is just the 13th Blazer ever to reach the 1,000-point mark before her senior season.

 UAB's trio of sophomore forward Karisma Chapman (14.0 ppg), junior guard Amber Jones (13.8 ppg) and senior guard LaShaunda Pratt (11.4 ppg) have accounted for 67.8 percent of the Blazers' scoring with 847 of the team's 1,249 points on the year.

 The Blazers placed four scorers in double figures Thursday against East Carolina for the third time this year and the second time in three games. Amber Jones led the Blazers with 16 points, followed by Karisma Chapman with 12 and LaShaunda Pratt and Kelsie Weynand with 11 each.

 UAB put an eight-game winning streak together from Nov. 25-Dec. 30. It was UAB's longest winning streak in 17 years and just the sixth streak of at least eight games in program history. UAB held opponents to an average of 41.4 points and 31.4 percent shooting during the streak.

TOP-NOTCH START
At 17-5 overall, UAB has matched the best start through 22 games in program history, joining the 1991-92 and 1993-94 teams. The 1991-92 squad went on to a 23-5 start before finishing with a 24-8 record and a WNIT appearance. The 1993-94 group also went on to start 23-5 before finishing 23-6 and playing in the NCAA tournament.

UAB's 8-2 league start is tied for the best in its C-USA history. The 1995-96 and 2006-07 teams also won eight of their first 10 league games.

NO. 2 SCORING DEFENSE
UAB climbed another spot in the national defensive statistics this week. The Blazers have surrendered just 48.5 points per contest and now rank second in the country in scoring defense in the latest NCAA statistics (2/10), trailing only Connecticut.

UAB has held 15 of its 22 opponents to 47 points or fewer and kept four -- Western Kentucky, Hampton, Clemson and East Carolina -- below 40 points. The 36 points scored Nov. 26 by Western Kentucky and Dec. 30 by Clemson matched the fewest allowed by the Blazers since the 1994-95 season.

HISTORIC NUMBERS
UAB is on pace to break its own Conference USA record for scoring defense by a large margin. Last season, the Blazers set a school and league record by allowing just 55.3 points per game, good for 25th-best in the nation. Their 56.1 points allowed per game in conference play also set a league record.

This year, UAB is allowing only 48.5 points per game (second in the nation), and the Blazers have allowed their 10 conference opponents an average of 49.4 points per contest.

WEYNAND EMERGING
Kelsie Weynand has developed into more of a scoring threat for UAB over the past two games. The JUCO transfer set back-to-back season-highs with 10 points at Marshall (2/5) and 11 against East Carolina (2/9). She is scoring 10.5 points per game over the past two contests after averaging 3.8 over the first 20.

Weynand has come off the bench to knock down 8 of 16 shots in the past two games, including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc.

JONES JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
With 11 points Jan. 26 against Tulsa, junior guard Amber Jones surpassed the 1,000-point milestone for her career. She enters Sunday's contest versus UCF with 1,047 career points.

Jones became the 25th 1,000-point scorer in program history and the 13th to accomplish the feat before her senior season.

Until Jones passed the mark, former Blazer Amanda Peterson was the most recent UAB player to reach 1,000 points, surpassing the mark last season in her senior campaign.

POINTS OFF TURNOVERS
UAB has forced a high number of turnovers this year and been able to cash them in for points on the other end. The Blazers have out-scored their opponents 395-275 for the season in points off turnovers. That is an average differential of more than five points per game (18.0-12.5).

The Blazers have scored more than 20 points off turnovers in a game eight times this season, including a season-best 30 points off turnovers in the win over Houston (1/15). In three of its five losses, UAB has scored fewer than 10 points off turnovers.

BLOCK PARTY
The second-best shot-blocking team in Conference USA, the Blazers are swatting 5.2 shots per game (ranked 26th in the nation) and 5.5 per game through 10 conference contests. UAB is nearly two blocks per game ahead of school record pace (3.4 per game in 1998-99). Last year's team is second in school annals with 3.3 blocks per contest.

Four Blazers this season are averaging at least one block per game. Meagan Brown leads the team at 1.4, followed by TaRonda Randall (1.2), Michaelea Kleist (1.1) and Karisma Chapman (1.0).

SWAT TEAM
UAB set a single-game school record with 12 blocked shots in the Jan. 12 win over UCF. The Blazers topped the previous best mark of 11, set in last season's home victory over Tulsa (2/10/11).

Meagan Brown had four of those blocks, including the record breaker with 1:50 to play. Karisma Chapman and LaShaunda Pratt had three each, while Michaelea Kleist and TaRonda Randall added one apiece.

FROSH SENSATION NOW SUPER SOPH
Sophomore forward Karisma Chapman is continuing to develop after a 2010-11 season in which she was a C-USA All-Freshman Team selection. Chapman is averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She logged her third career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds at UNCG (12/6).

Last year, Chapman finished the season 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.

JONES PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Junior guard Amber Jones continues to be one of the top scoring threats for UAB, ranking second on the team with an average of 13.8 points per game. She has led UAB in scoring 10 times, 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 and 17.5 over the final six.

JONES IMPROVING 3-POINT PCT.
Amber Jones has shown vast improvement from 3-point range this season. She entered her junior year with 72 treys over her first two seasons but was just a 27.7 percent shooter from beyond the arc for her career.

This season, Jones' 3-point percentage has jumped to 33.0 (29-for-88), which ranks sixth in Conference USA.

DOING DAMAGE FROM DOWNTOWN
UAB averages 5.6 3-pointers per game as a team to rank first in Conference USA, while senior guard LaShaunda Pratt ranks second in the league individually with 2.1 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 216 for the season, the second-most in UAB history and just three shy of the 2006-07 school-record total of 219.

Graduated guard Amanda Peterson set a school and C-USA record with 103 treys a year ago.

BROWN'S BLOCKS
Meagan Brown reached a milestone with her 100th career blocked shot Jan. 22 against Memphis. The senior center is coming off a 2010-11 campaign in which she set the school record for single-season blocked shots with 49. Her 104 career blocks rank third on the Blazers' all-time list, trailing only the 125 by Deanna Jackson (1998-2002) and the 108 of Mary Morning (1993-97).

PRATT FROM LONG RANGE
LaShaunda Pratt ranks second in Conference USA with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game and fifth in 3-point percentage (.333). More than half of Pratt's field goal attempts this season (138 of 247) have come from behind the 3-point line.

Pratt has hit at least three treys in eight games this season. She hit five 3-pointers 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.

NEW MARK FOR DEFENSE IN A HALF
UAB matched the program record for fewest points allowed in a half Jan. 5 against Rice, limiting the Owls to just 11 points over the opening 20 minutes.

The Blazers also surrendered only 11 points in a half against Cincinnati on March 9, 1995. On four other occasions, UAB has limited an opponent to 12 points in a single half.

KLEIST'S CONTRIBUTIONS
Junior forward Michaelea Kleist, who came off the bench for the first three games, has now started 19 contests in a row.

Kleist, a transfer from Volunteer State CC, has proven to be a defensive presence and one of the team's top rebounders. She ranks third on the team in blocks with 1.1 per game and second in rebounds with 5.6 per outing. Kleist's five blocked shots against UNCG (12/6) are the most by a UAB player this season.

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
UAB has been among the nation's best at taking care of the basketball. The Blazers were in the top 10 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game early this season. They still lead C-USA in fewest giveaways rank 46th nationally at 15.2 per game.

UAB recorded 10 or fewer turnovers four times in its first six games of the season, 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.

FORCING TURNOVERS
UAB has created 101 more turnovers than its opponents (435-334) this year. Last year, the team forced 115 more turnovers than they committed (644-529).

After forcing double-digit turnovers in all 35 games last season, UAB has caused at least 10 turnovers in every game this year, 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 145 straight games. The last time a UAB opponent turned the ball over fewer than 10 times was Hartford (eight) on Nov. 23, 2007.

EARNING SECOND CHANCES
Through 22 games this season, UAB has snagged 326 offensive rebounds (14.8 per game) compared to 245 (11.1 per game) for its opponents. The Blazers have posted double-digit offensive boards in every game but two and reached 20 offensive rebounds four times -- 23 against Southern Miss (1/29) and Alabama A&M (12/15), 22 at Clemson (12/30) and 20 at McNeese State (11/19).

Senior center Meagan Brown has logged a team-high 56 offensive boards, while sophomore forward Karisma Chapman has snagged nearly half of her rebounds (54 of 110) 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 22 games, UAB has attempted 162 more shots (1,220-1,058) than its opponents for an average of 7.4 more attempts per game.

GOOD GUARD PLAY
UAB's trio of primary ballhandlers -- Khalilah Watson, Amber Jones and LaShaunda Pratt -- has combined for a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (167 assists, 155 turnovers) this year.

Jones (65 assists, 57 turnovers) and Watson (62 assists, 46 turnovers) have both made strides this year after posting more turnovers than assists a season ago. For much of the season, either Watson or Jones has been ranked among the best in Conference USA in assist-to-turnover ratio.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics

Blazers Continue Conference Play In Orlando

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