The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Arizona
UAB's Comeback Falls Short At Arizona
12/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Box Score 
TUCSON, Ariz. - A big second half helped the UAB women's basketball cut a 15-point deficit down to one with just under two minutes remaining, but Arizona was able to hold on for the 49-44 win on Sunday afternoon in Tucson, Ariz.
"We played some good basketball in the second half," said head coach Randy Norton. "We played with energy and toughness and we made shots. I was really proud of our young kids that came off the bench. We had three freshmen; T'erra (Lewis), Whytney (Singleton) and Kasey (Drayton) all come in and spark us. If we had played like that for 40 minutes we would have won that game."
UAB (4-4) outscored Arizona (6-3) 30-22 in the second half, with the Blazers shooting 41.4 percent from the field. The Wildcats were held to just 28.6 percent shooting, but Arizona's 27-14 lead at the half was too much for UAB to overcome.
The Blazers won the battle in the paint, scoring 22 of their 44 points around the basket. Junior Chelsee Black led the team with 14 points, all in the second half. Senior Janae Smith added eight points and sophomore Janeka Williams and freshman T'erra Lewis each had six.
For the fifth time this season the Blazers outrebounded their opponent, bringing down 35 boards to Arizona's 29. Junior Dy'man Webb finished with a game-high nine boards.
After falling behind 9-2 early in the game, back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Bianca Dufelmeier and senior Miranda Burroughs cut the lead down to one. Williams then put the Blazers ahead 10-9 after a layup with 11:54 to go in the first half.
Williams hit another layup at the 5:56 mark, but it would be the final points of the first as the Blazers suffered a scoring drought to head into halftime down 27-14.
In the second half UAB turned to its bench, which provided a huge spark for the Blazers. Lewis scored the first six points out of the break, hitting three-straight layups. Then fellow freshman Whytney Singelton added a 3-point basket to give the Blazers a 9-0 run and cut Arizona's lead to, 29-23 with 11:47 left on the clock.
The Wildcats extended their lead back to nine points, until Black hit her first three of the game. Smith followed with a layup then another 3-pointer for Black made, 37-36, with 5:18 remaining. UAB was able to pull within one point three more times, but Arizona held on for the 49-44 win.
"You can't turn the ball over 21 times and shoot 36 percent," Norton stated. "You have to make open baskets, and we do that we are going to be a really good basketball team."
The Blazers will return back home for the first time in almost a month as they host Arkansas Pine Bluff Friday at 7 p.m. CT in Bartow Arena.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
