The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Basketball Faces C-USA Leader SMU
2/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2013
Live Stats (GameTracker) | Live Video (All-Access) | UAB Game Notes | SMU Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB women’s basketball team looks to snap a two-game losing skid as the Blazers travel to Dallas to face league-leader SMU on Thursday. Tip time is 7 p.m. CT.
The contest, which is set to take place at Moody Coliseum, features Conference USA’s best scoring offense in SMU (70.6 ppg) and the league’s top scoring defense in UAB (53.1 ppg).
The Mustangs enter the meeting riding an eight-game winning streak, while the Green and Gold have lost three out of their last four on the season.
Game Information
UAB (13-7, 4-3 C-USA) at SMU (16-4, 7-0 C-USA)
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 – Moody Coliseum – 7 p.m. CT
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Series Information
UAB leads, 6-3
>> The Blazers have won four-straight in the series that dates back to 1991, including last season’s lone meeting, 50-46, at Bartow Arena. UAB’s Amber Jones knocked in a 3-pointer from 25-feet out with 12 seconds to go to seal the win.
Scouting SMU
>> SMU comes into Thursday’s game with a perfect 7-0 league mark. The Mustangs picked up possibly their biggest win of the season this past Sunday with a 82-73 victory at UTEP.
>> Led by Keena Mays’ 20.2 points per game average, SMU has three players scoring in double figures, including Alisha Filmore’s 12.5 points per contest and Akil Simpson’s 10.3 ppg.
>> The Mustangs are outscoring teams by an average of 10.6 ppg and force 20.4 turnovers per contest.
UAB Notes
UAB Looks To Stop Skid
>> UAB has dropped two-straight Conference USA games and has lost three of its last four on the season. Rice, who made a season-high 24-of-35 free-throw shots, snapped a five-game losing streak with a 61-53 win over the Blazers this past Sunday, following a 54-51 UAB loss to Southern Miss on Jan. 31.
>> The Blazers tied their second-lowest scoring output of the season with 51 points against Southern Miss, while the 53 points scored against Rice represented UAB’s third-lowest output of the season.
Defense Still Strong
>> The Green and Gold still have one of the top defenses in the league, holding opponents to 53.4 points per game -- the best mark in Conference USA. The Blazers hold a +5.6 turnover margin in conference play, forcing 20 turnovers per game in C-USA contests.
Winning On The Road
>> UAB suffered its first Conference USA road loss against Rice on Sunday. Previously, the Blazers were 3-0 with wins at UCF, UTEP and Marshall. The Green and Gold are 1-2 in league games played at Bartow Arena.
Under 70
>> UAB has yet to allow an opponent to score over 70 points in a game this season. In fact, the Blazers have held the opposition to 60 points or less in 14 of their 20 games on the year, owning an 11-3 record in those contests. UAB is 6-0 on the year when opponents score less than 50 points in a game.
Low On Turnovers
>> With UAB’s six turnovers committed against UTEP, the Blazers now account for the top three fewest turnover games in Conference USA history. UAB committed a league record low five against Tulsa on Feb. 12, 2009 before six miscues against Chattanooga on Nov. 11, 2011. The Blazers are currently second in the C-USA in turnover margin with a +5.6 advantage.
Leading In Losses
>> The Blazers have held sizable leads in four of their seven losses this season. UAB had a nine-point advantage at George Mason (Dec. 2) and a 13-point lead against Morehead State (Dec. 18). The Blazers held a seven-point cushion on three different occasions in the loss to Chattanooga (Jan. 2) and were ahead of Memphis at the half, 32-26, on Jan. 24.
Looking For Offense
>> UAB has shot less than 40 percent in 14 of its 20 games on the year with an 8-6 record in those contests. The Blazers shot a season-low 23.9 percent in a loss against Southern Miss on Jan. 31 and have scored 51 and 53 points respectively in their last two games (Southern Miss and Rice).
Chapman Approaching 1,000
>> Junior Karisma Chapman now has 886 points in her UAB career and needs just 114 to reach 1,000. She would be the 26th player in Blazer history to net 1,000 points.
Kleist Closing In On 500
>> Senior Michaelea Kleist is closing in on 500 points in her career. Kleist, who attended Eastern Kentucky from 2009-10, has 472 points during her three-year Division I career.
Jones All-Academic Candidate
>> Senior Amber Jones, who leads the team in several statistical categories and is an All-Conference USA performer, has been nominated for the CoSIDA All-Academic team. The Town Creek, Ala., native boasts a 3.67 GPA in her four years at UAB. Jones was selected as a District 4 honoree in an announcement made on Jan. 31.
Grimes The Difference Maker
>> Junior Ashley Grimes has drawn 15 starts on the year, scoring in double figures in 11 of those games. Her 13.6 ppg in C-USA play ties Amber Jones for tops on the team.
Anderson Crashes The Boards
>> Freshman Kayla Anderson recorded a game-high 11 rebounds against Southern Miss -- a season-high for her and the second most by a Blazer in a single game this season.
