The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Prepares For C-USA Road Game At Charlotte
1/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
UAB (8-8, 2-3 C-USA) at Charlotte (7-10, 3-2 C-USA)
Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT
Charlotte, N.C. - Halton Arena
Coverage: Live Stats | Listen Free | Watch
UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's women's basketball team is back on the road as it gets set to take on Charlotte on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT inside Halton Arena.
UAB (8-8, 2-3 C-USA) will look to pick up its first win over Charlotte (7-10, 3-2 C-USA) since 2001. The 49ers have won the last seven meetings over the Blazers. Fans can 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
- Thursday's game will be the 19th meeting between UAB and Charlotte, with the 49ers holding a slight 15-13 advantage over the Blazers in the series. Last season the squads played in Bartow Arena, as Charlotte edged UAB, 64-60, in the final game of the regular season.
- In Conference USA play, UAB has been one of the top shooting teams as the Blazers are the only team to rank in the top three of field goal percentage (.429), 3-point field goal percentage (.407) and free throw percentage (.750).
- UAB remains atop the league in blocked shots during C-USA action. The Blazers are averaging 6.2 blocks per game and have 31 total blocks in five games, including three-straight games with eight or more blocks as a team.
- Senior Janae Smith is leading UAB in five different categories after joining the lineup this season. Smith is averaging 17.3 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game, while also tallying 39 assists, 27 steals and 27 blocks on the season.
- The Blazers are coming off their second win in C-USA after defeating Southern Miss, 62-49, at home on Saturday. Three players scored in double figures as Smith led the team with 17 points and fellow senior Miranda Burroughs finished 5-of-9 from 3-point range for a season-high 15 points.
Notes
Series
This will be the 19th time UAB and Charlotte have met in the series. The 49ers hold a 15-13 advantage over the Blazers and have won the last seven meetings between the two squads. UAB is looking for its first win against Charlotte since Feb. 9, 2001, when the Blazers won 69-67 at Bartow. The last time UAB won in Charlotte was on Feb. 27, 2000, when the Blazers earned a 65-48 win against the 49ers.
Scouting the 49ers
Charlotte (7-10, 3-2 C-USA) carries a three game win-streak into Thursday's matchup. The 49ers have defeated Marshall, North Texas and most recently topped Rice, 62-59. Lefty Webster leads the team with 13.4 points per game and Hillary Sigmon is adding 10.3 points per game. Webster is also tied for the lead in steals with 3.0 per game in C-USA play. Defensively, Kira Gordon leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game.
Seniors Guide UAB Past Southern Miss
Seniors Janae Smith and Miranda Burroughs led UAB in its win over Southern Miss this past Saturday. Smith posted 17 points for her eighth-straight game in double-figures. She finished 6-of-13 from the floor and added a team-high seven rebounds in the contest. Burroughs, who was looking to extend her streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer, netted five threes on the afternoon to post a season-high 15 points. She shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and added two assists.
Winning With Defense
Seven of UAB's eight wins have come when the Blazers have held their opponent to less that 40 percent from the floor. UAB has used solid defense to hold its opponents to under 50 points in eight games this season. Most recently, the Blazers held Southern Miss to just 49 points on 36.7 percent shooting as the Lady Eagles were averaging 71.0 points per game and .459 field goal percentage entering the matchup.
Quick Starts Boost Blazers
UAB has had success when jumping out to the early lead in a game. The Blazers are 6-1 on the season when leading the game at halftime, with the only loss coming to Louisiana Tech. This season UAB has picked up wins over Lipscomb, Alcorn State, Loyola Chicago, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, South Alabama, FIU and Southern Miss. Its only comeback win came against UC Irvine, when the Blazers topped the Anteaters in overtime.
