The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Hoops Clashes With Southern Miss At Home
1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Southern Miss (10-5, 3-1 C-USA) at UAB (7-8, 1-3 C-USA)
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. – Bartow Arena
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UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB women’s basketball team remains at home to host Conference USA rival Southern Miss on Saturday in Bartow Arena. The Blazers and Golden Eagles are set to tip at 2 p.m. CT.
UAB (7-8, 1-3 C-USA) will look to rebound from its loss to Louisiana Tech on Thursday night, while Southern Miss (10-5, 3-1 C-USA) has won four of its last five games entering the contest.
Saturday’s game will feature a halftime recognition for the 1999-2000 NCAA Sweet 16 Team as well as the first Belles and Whistles event of 2015. Those interested in attending can enjoy a pre-game meal in the Green and Gold room beginning at 1 p.m., along with a chalk talk by a member of the UAB women’s basketball coaching staff.
The first 100 fans in attendance will receive free t-shirts at the game.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
Blazer Bits
- UAB and Southern Miss have a long history that dates back to the 1978-79 season. The Golden Eagles hold a 36-19 advantage over the Blazers, and are 12-9 in games played in Bartow Arena. Last season the two teams met in Hattiesburg, with Southern Miss edging UAB, 72-70.
- Saturday’s game will feature the top two 3-point shooting teams in Conference USA, as Southern Miss and UAB rank first and second in 3-point field goal percentage, respectively. The Golden Eagles are 38.5 percent from behind the arc and the Blazers are hitting 33.8 percent.
- For the second-straight game UAB recorded nine blocks as a team and has a combined 26 blocks over the last three games. The Blazers lead the league with 7.0 blocks/game in conference play and are third with 4.2/game on the season.
- Junior Kayla Anderson leads C-USA individually in blocked shots with 3.3 per game against conference opponents. Anderson put down five blocks against Louisiana Tech just one game after recording a career-high six blocks in the win over FIU.
- Senior Janae Smith and junior Chelsee Black rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in scoring during conference play. Smith leads UAB with 16.0 points per game and Black is adding 15.8 points per game.
Notes
Series
Saturday’s contest will be the 56th all-time meeting between the two teams and the 22nd time in Bartow Arena. Southern Miss has a 36-19 lead in the series and edged UAB in the last meeting, 72-70, on Feb. 26, 2014. The series has been a close one in recent years as neither team has won by more than five points in the last four games. UAB’s last win at home over the Golden Eagles came on Jan. 29, 2012, when the Blazers defeated Southern Miss, 65-59.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Southern Miss (10-5, 3-1 C-USA) has won four of its last five games, with three of those wins coming in overtime. The Golden Eagles most recently defeated Middle Tennessee, 77-75, in overtime. Tamara Jones leads the team with 18.2 points per game and has upped that average to 22.8 per game in C-USA play. Jones is also leading the team with 6.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
NCAA Sweet 16 Team Recognition
This season marks the 15th anniversary of the 1999-2000 UAB women’s basketball team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. In one of the most successful seasons at UAB, the Blazers finished with three wins over top-25 ranked teams, including two-straight in the NCAA tournament. The team will be honored at halftime of the Jan. 17 game against Southern Miss.
Anderson’s Block Party
Junior Kayla Anderson, who set the UAB single season record with 56 blocks as a sophomore, has returned to her dominance inside after tallying a career-best six blocks in the win over FIU and adding five blocks against Louisiana Tech. Her 17 blocks this season gives her 101 blocks for her career, which ranks fourth all-time. Deanna Jackson holds the UAB career record with 125 blocks.
Consistently Leading
Senior Janae Smith and junior Chelsee Black have consistently led UAB in scoring this season. Smith, who leads the team with 12 games in double figures, is averaging 17.3 points per game and 16.0 in C-USA play. Black has reach double-digits in 11 games this season and has improved her average to 15.8 points per game in conference games.
