The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Set For Sunday Showdown at FIU
1/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
UAB (6-7, 0-2 C-USA) at FIU (3-10, 0-2 C-USA)
Sunday, Jan. 11 at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT
Miami, Fla. – FIU Arena
TV: Fox SportSouth
Coverage: Live Stats | Listen Free
UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB women’s basketball team is set to take on Conference USA foe FIU in Miami, Fla. on Sunday. The teams are slated to tip off at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
UAB (6-7, 0-2 C-USA) and FIU (3-10, 0-2 C-USA) are both looking for their first win in league play. The two teams have opened with losses to Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic.
Sunday’s contest will air on Fox SportSouth with Jason Knapp (play-by-play) and Christy Winters Scott (color) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game free on UABsports.com with Laura Waldrop (play-by-play) and Katie Broadway (color) on the call.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
Blazer Bits
- Despite the series dating all the way back to the 1980-81 season, UAB and FIU are meeting for the sixth time in school history. The Blazers hold a 3-2 advantage heading into Sunday’s contest. This will be the first time the two teams have played in Miami since Jan. 22, 1981, when UAB defeated FIU, 110-38.
- For the second-straight season, UAB and FIU will play in a televised game. Last season the two teams met at Bartow Arena, which also aired on Fox Sports Network. FIU won that contest, 63-53. Both teams are looking for their first win in league play this season.
- UAB and FIU are two of the top free throw shooting teams in Conference USA. The Panthers currently rank second in the league shooting .747 and the Blazers are third with a .726 percentage from the line. UAB’s Chelsee Black and Janae Smith rank first and second individually in C-USA.
- Senior Janae Smith is averaging 17.5 points per game to lead UAB this season. Smith has reached double figures in 10 games this season and five-straight heading into Sunday’s game.
- Senior Miranda Burroughs has been hot from behind the 3-point line this season. Her .441 average (30-of-68) is second in C-USA. She has hit a three in seven-straight games has two or more in the last six games.
Notes
Series
Sunday’s contest will be the sixth meeting between UAB and FIU in a series that dates back to 1981. The Blazers hold a 3-2 advantage and won the only game the two teams have played in Miami, topping the Panthers, 110-38, on Jan. 22, 1981. The series was renewed when FIU joined Conference USA in the 2013-14 season. FIU won last season’s meeting, 63-53.
Scouting the Panthers
FIU (3-10, 0-2 C-USA) has lost is last two games heading into Sunday’s meeting. The Panthers fell to Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee to open conference play. Kiandre’a Pound is leading FIU with 15.5 points per game, while two other players are also averaging double figures. Marita Davydova is leading the team with 9.6 rebounds per game, which ranks third in C-USA.
Smith Makes Immediate Impact
Senior Janae Smith is fifth in Conference USA in scoring (17.5/game), second in free throw percentage (.862) and third in blocked shots (1.7/game). She leads the team in five different categories since joining the Blazers lineup, scoring, field goal percentage (.477), rebounding (6.8/game), blocks (22), and steals (25).
UAB On The Block
The Blazers recorded a season-high eight blocks in the game against Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Senior Janae Smith and junior Bianca Dufelmeier both recorded three blocks and junior Kayla Anderson added two blocks. It was a career-high for Dufelmeier and the seventh time Smith had two or more blocks in a game.
Black Leading The Pack Again
Junior Chelsee Black has once again found herself at the top of the league in free throw percentage. The Preseason All-C-USA selection led the conference from the charity stripe in 2013-14, with a .875 percentage. This season, she has picked up where she left off with a .864 average from the line. Black has connected on 38-of-44 through the first 13 games for the Blazers.
