The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Middle Tennessee On Senior Night
3/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2014
UAB (18-11, 7-8) vs. Middle Tennessee (22-8, 12-3)
Thursday, March 6, 2014 - 7 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. - Bartow Arena
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UAB Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Six Blazer seniors will play their final regular season game at Bartow Arena on Thursday night when the UAB men's basketball team hosts Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. CT.
Fans can purchase tickets to Thursday's game by contacting the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-8221. Those who attend the contest between Blazers and Conference USA co-leader Middle Tennessee are encouraged to arrive early for a special senior presentation.
Five Things To Know
The Series: UAB has faced Middle Tennessee seven times, leading the series 5-2. The Blazers won the first five games played between the two teams.
Senior Night: Six Blazers will play their final home game at Bartow Arena against Middle Tennessee. UAB will say goodbye to seniors Fahro Alihodzic, Karl Moton, Preston Purifoy, Rod Rucker, Jordan Swing and Robert Williams.
Nice To Be Home: UAB owns a 12-4 mark at home this season. The Blazers are 23-8 at Bartow Arena in two seasons under head coach Jerod Haase.
Frazier Shines: UAB junior guard Chad Frazier has become one of the top players in Conference USA. Frazier is third in the league in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game. He is also fifth overall in assists with 4.4 per contest.
Top Rebounders: Three Blazers rank in the top 20 in C-USA in rebounding. Rod Rucker (12th), C.J. Washington (13th), and Robert Williams (16th) lead UAB on the boards.
Game Notes
UAB-Middle Tennessee Series Information
» UAB meets Middle Tennessee for the second time this season and for the eighth time in school history. The Blazers lead the series 5-2 and won the first five meetings in the series that dates back to 1986. The Green and Gold won the first meeting between the two teams in overtime, 93-91, at the BJCC on Dec. 30, 1986, but have lost the last two, including an 89-84 overtime loss earlier this season in Murfreesboro.
UAB Nation's Second-Best Rebounding Team
» According to ESPN.com's statistical rankings, UAB is the No. 2 rebounding team in the nation, averaging 45.3 boards per game. The Blazers have recorded over 50 rebounds nine times this season (54 vs. Rutgers, 53 vs. Troy, 62 vs. New Mexico, 52 vs. North Carolina 51 vs. Alabama A&M, 50 vs. Newberry College, 53 at North Texas, 50 at Tulsa, and 51 at Marshall). The 62 against New Mexico represented just the fifth time in school history that UAB has had 60-plus rebounds. The school record is 69, which came against South Alabama on Dec. 20, 1994.
Chad Frazier Conference USA's Third-Leading Scorer
» UAB guard Chad Frazier is ranked third in Conference USA in scoring with 17.7 points per game. In conference games only, Frazier is second in the league in scoring with 17.8 ppg in league action.
» Frazier has led UAB in scoring 16 times this season and recorded 20 points or more 10 times.
Williams Lands On UAB's Career Rebounds Chart
» UAB senior guard Robert Williams has moved into 10th place on the Blazers' all-time career rebounds chart. Williams, who has recorded 573 rebounds in his career, is just eight rebounds shy of ninth place, which is held by Chris Giles (581).
Swing Hits 1,000 Career Points
» Jordan Swing has now gone over the 1,000 career point mark for his career with 1,007 career points. The Birmingham native began his career at Western Kentucky before transferring to the hometown Blazers for his final three seasons.
Blazers' Defense Has Been Stifling
» UAB has held its last four opponents below 40 percent shooting (Marshall (38.3 percent) Charlotte (39.3 percent), Rice (39.3 percent), LA Tech (38.9)), marking the 14th time this season the Blazers have held an opponent below 40 percent shooting. UAB is 13-1 when holding opponents below the 40 percent mark in a game.
Bartow Friendly To The Blazers
» UAB is currently 12-4 at home on the year. The Blazers play a school-record 17 games inside Bartow Arena this season.
» Under head coach Jerod Haase, the Blazers are 23-8 at home dating back to last season. Against non-conference foes, UAB is 16-0 at home under Haase and has won 19 straight at Bartow Arena against teams not in Conference USA.
Scouting Middle Tennessee
» Middle Tennessee is currently in a four-way tie for first place in the Conference USA standings, heading into the final game on the C-USA slate. The Blue Raiders have lost only three conference games, with their last C-USA defeat coming in a 55-39 loss at Louisiana Tech on Feb. 27.
» MT is led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Shawn Jones (14.5 ppg), Neiko Hunter (13.1 ppg) and Kerry Hammonds (12.5 ppg). Jones averages a near double-double with his 8.1 rebounds per game.
