The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Host UCF On Wednesday At 6 p.m. CT
3/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2013
TV: CSS | Listen | GameTracker | Game Notes 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB men's basketball team puts its four-game winning streak on the line Wednesday night against UCF at 6 p.m. CT inside Bartow Arena. The contest will serve as Senior Night recognizing three student-athletes and their academic and athletic accomplishments with the Blazers.
UAB has won four consecutive games and six of its last seven contests to sit above .500 for the first time since January 8.
UAB (15-14, 7-7 C-USA)
vs. UCF (19-10, 8-6 C-USA)
Date: March 6, 2013
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Venue: Bartow Arena (8,500)
Multimedia
TV: CSS
Talent: Bernie Guenther (pxp), Shane Power (analyst)
Radio: WUHT-FM 107.7
Talent: David Crane (pxp), Steve Mitchell (analyst)
Live Stats: GameTracker (UABsports.com)
Twitter Updates: @UABathletics
The Series
UAB leads, 7-4
Last Meeting: UCF 64, UAB 48 (1/9/13)
The UAB defense forced 21 turnovers and corralled 25 offensive rebounds, but shot a season-low 26 percent from the floor and did not make a 3-pointer for the first time in 538 games.
The Coaches
UAB: Jerod Haase (Kansas, '97)
Record at UAB: 15-14 (1st season)
Career Record: 15-14 (1st season)
UCF: Donnie Jones (Pikeville, '88)
Record at UCF: 62-33 (3rd season)
Career Record: 117-74 (6th season)
On The Blazers
>> UAB enters Wednesday's game coming off a 74-69 victory at home vs. SMU last Saturday.
>> The victory over the Mustangs marked the team's fourth in a row and sixth in the last seven games. UAB has evened its league record at 7-7 after starting the year 1-6 in conference play.
>> UAB's overall record is above .500 for the first time since sitting at 8-7 prior to playing at UCF back on Jan. 9.
>> In the win vs. SMU, Rod Rucker posted his 10th double-double of the year (21 pts, 11 reb). Along with his 26-point effort in a win a Tulane last Wednesday, Rucker was named C-USA Player of the Week, averaging 23.5 ppg and shooting 60.6 from the floor.
>> The Blazers outrebounded the Mustangs, 35-25, marking the sixth straight game UAB has won the rebounding margin. The 19 offensive rebounds were the second most this season, trailing only the 25 the Blazers corralled in the last meeting vs. UCF (1/9/13).
>> The Blazers are +45 in rebounds over the past six games. UAB has a record of 5-1 during that stretch.
>> UAB ranks 11th in Division I in assists per game (16.4) and has dished out 10-plus assists in every game this season. Dating back to last season, UAB has reached double digits in assists in 31 straight games. UAB recorded just eight helpers at UCF (3/3/12) last season in a 71-63 loss.
>> UAB is 11-3 at home, marking the 22nd time in 25 seasons the Blazers have reached 10 or more home wins in a season. The Blazers are 296-68 (81.3) all-time in Bartow Arena.
>> Jordan Swing is one of two C-USA players, joined by UCF’s Isaiah Sykes, who ranks amongst the league leaders in points (14.1/15th), rebounds (5.7/19th) and assists (2.8/T14th) per contest.
>> Preston Purifoy leads C-USA in free throw percentage at 91.5 and at home is 40-for-42 at the line. He is challenging the C-USA single-season free throw percentage record of 92.2 percent set by Zamal Nixon of Houston during the 2010-11 season. Purifoy currently holds the UAB single-season free throw percentage mark.
>> Wednesday night will serve as Senior Night for Terence Jones, Alexander Scotland
On The Knights
>> UCF is coming off a loss to Memphis and has dropped four of its last six contests to sit at 19-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play.
>> Isaiah Sykes and Keith Clanton are two of the most dangerous players in C-USA. Sykes fills up the stat sheet, leading the Knights in points (15.6), assists (4.6) and steals (2.4) per game.
>> Clanton, who is coming off a 29-point effort vs. Memphis, has recorded eight double-doubles on the season, averaging 15.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
>> Kasey Wilson is a threat from 3-point range, leading C-USA by making an even 50 percent (36-72) of his attempts from downtown.
>> As a team, UCF is shooting 45.8 percent from the floor, 35.8 percent and from 3-point range and 64.2 percent from the foul line.


