The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Arizona Thursday Night
12/4/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2013
UAB (5-3) vs. Arizona (1-6)
Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. CT
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Listen Free | Watch
Notes: UAB | Arizona
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's women's basketball team will host Arizona on Thursday, Dec. 5 in Bartow Arena. The teams are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. CT.
Thursday's matchup with Arizona will mark the first meeting between the two schools in women's basketball action. UAB's only other meeting with a Pac-12 school came in 1995, when the Blazers fell to Washington, 80-62, in the Kona Classic.
Blazer Bits
- Arizona comes into the contest with an overall record of 1-6. In their most recent contest, the Wildcats suffered an eight-point loss to Brigham Young.
- Most recently, UAB took home first place at the Plaza Lights Classic in Kansas City, Mo. The Blazers defeated Eastern Illinois, 79-46, in their first game of the tournament before topping Sam Houston State, 70-59, to take home the title.
- Senior Karisma Chapman was named tournament MVP following her 37-point performance against Sam Houston State. Chapman also grabbed 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Against Eastern Illinois Chapman put up 19 points. She also had five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
- A trio of players are averaging double-figures so far this season, Karisma Chapman (19.9 ppg), Chelsee Black (12.5 ppg) and Ashley Grimes (14.1 ppg).
- UAB has the best rebounding defense of all Conference USA schools. The Blazers also lead the conference in blocked shots.
- Sophomore Kayla Anderson is second in Conference USA with an average of 2.6 blocks per game. Anderson has tallied at least three blocks in six of UAB's eight games, including two with a career-high four blocks.
UAB Notes
Scouting the Wildcats
Arizona is coming off of a 64-56 loss to BYU. The Wildcats have two players averaging in double-figures. Candice Warthen leads the team with 15.7 ppg and Kama Griffitts is averaging 13.1 ppg. LaBrittney Jones is leading the team off the glass with 5.9 rebounds per game. She also has a team-high eight blocks on the season.
Stifling Defense
UAB ranks second in Conference USA in seven defensive categories. The Blazers are leading the conference in rebounding defense (33.6 rpg), defensive rebounds (29.8 per game) and blocked shots (5.3 bpg). UAB is second in C-USA holding opponents to 56.4 ppg on just .352 field goal percentage. The team is averaging a rebounding margin of +8.2 per game, as 74.6 percent of its rebounds are off the defensive glass.
Chapman Scores Career-High 37 Points
Karisma Chapman led the Blazers with a career-high 37 points in the win over Sam Houston State. Chapman also recorded her third double-double of the season after grabbing 11 rebounds in the game. She netted a career-high 16 field goals and made five-of-seven free throws to lead the team.
20-Point Performances
Three different players have tallied at least 20 points in a single game this season for UAB. Senior Ashley Grimes opened the season with 26 points against Fairfield in the Emerald Beach Islanders Classic. Sohpomore Chelsee Black followed that up with 23 points in the second game of the tournament, when the Blazers took on Western Illinois. Most recently, senior Karisma Chapman scored 37 points to help propel UAB past Sam Houston State.
Blazers Attacking the Boards
The Blazers have been strong on the boards in the 2013-14 season. They have outrebounded their opponents in seven of the eight games so far this season. UAB is averaging 41.9 rebounds per game as a team, while its opponents are averaging 33.6. Four different players are averaging over 5.0 rebounds per game so far this season.
Strong Under the Basket
The team has outscored its opponents in the paint, 210-122, over the last six games. The Blazers have tallied at least 30 points in the paint in each of those games. UAB has played especially well at home, scoring 40 points in the paint against Lipscomb and then tallying 30 in the win over Samford.
Sophomores Stepping Up
UAB will rely on a strong sophomore class in 2013-14 with six sophomores returning. Chelsee Black, a Bessemer native, is third on the team with 12.5 points per game and scored in double-figures in the team's first seven games. The duo of Kayla Anderson and Dy'man Webb are both grabbing over 5 rebounds per game. Anderson also leads the team with 18 blocks so far on the season and is first in C-USA with an average of 3.0 per game.
Chapman Does it All
Senior Karisma Chapman can be found at the top of nearly every statistical category for the Blazers. Chapman leads the team in points per game and rebounds per game, averaging 19.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on the season. She also leads the team in steals (16) and is second in assists (24). So far this season she is shooting .508 from the field and has scored in double figures in all eight games. She has also tallied a double-double in three games against Chattanooga (15 points, 10 rebounds), Samford (24 points, 13 rebounds) and Sam Houston State (37 points, 11 rebounds).
Black Leading the Pack
Sophomore Chelsee Black has been outstanding as the starting point guard or UAB in the 2013-14 season. She leads the team in assists with 3.9 per game. She is currently third on the team with 12.5 ppg and is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. Black scored a career-high 23 points and led the team with five assists against Western Illinois. She has hit double-digits in seven of the eight games this season.
Anderson on the Attack
Sophomore Kayla Anderson has been strong under the basket, leading UAB in blocks (21) on the season. She tallied a block in the first seven games and had a career-high four blocks in three separate contests. She has grabbed at least three blocks in six of the Blazers' eight games. Anderson is second in C-USA averaging 2.6 blocks per game.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
