The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Hosts UTEP Thursday In C-USA Matchup
1/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
UAB (9-9, 3-4 C-USA) vs. UTEP (8-8, 3-4 C-USA)
Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. - Bartow Arena
Coverage: Live Stats | Listen Free | Watch
UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After splitting action in Conference USA play last week the UAB women's basketball team returns home to Bartow Arena to host UTEP Thursday night. The Blazers and Miners are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. CT.
Fans can listen to the game free on UABsports.com with Laura Waldrop (play-by-play) and Holly Berry (color analyst) on the call. A live stream will also be available on UABsports.com for all-access subscribers.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
Blazer Bits
- This will be the 13th all-time meeting between UAB and UTEP. The Miners hold a 7-5 advantage in the series after winning the last two meetings. Last season, UTEP topped the Blazers, 85-76, in Bartow Arena.
- In Conference USA play, UAB has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the league. The Blazers are 41.3 percent from beyond the arc against C-USA opponents this season and averaging 7.1 3-pointers per game.
- Thursday's matchup will pair two teams that are tied in the C-USA standings through the first seven games and both are averaging the same field goal percentage entering the contest. UAB and UTEP are 3-4 in a tie for ninth in the standings. The teams are also both coming in with a .348 field goal percentage for the season.
- The Blazers have been playing strong defense against Conference USA teams, only allowing opponents to average 58.1 points per game. UAB has held its opponents to under 52 points in three of the last five games.
- UAB had a player record a double-double in both games last week. Junior Brittany Winborne picked up her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Charlotte. Senior Janae Smith tallied her fourth double-double this year after posting 21 points and 10 rebounds against Old Dominion.
Notes
Series
This will be the 13th meeting all-time between UAB and UTEP. The Miners have won the last two contests to take a 7-5 advantage in the series. Last season the two teams met in Bartow, with UTEP edging the Blazers, 85-76. The last time UAB defeated UTEP at home was on Jan. 31, 2009 in close 64-58 win. The Blazers are 3-2 all-time in Bartow arena against the Miners.
Scouting the Miners
UTEP (8-8, 3-4 C-USA) has lost its last three games entering Thursday's contest. Most recently, the Miners fell in close games to Western Kentucky, 80-74, and Marshall, 76-71. Cameasha Turner leads the team with 14.1 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Last Time Out
The Blazers are coming off a 58-46 loss to Old Dominion on the road. It was a defensive battle for most of the game, but UAB struggled to hit shots in the final stretch as the Lady Monarchs held on for the win. Senior Janae Smith picked up her fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while fellow senior Miranda Burroughs added eight points. The Matteson, Ill. native has scored over 20 points in six games this season.
Send Them To The Line
UAB leads C-USA in free throw percentage shooting 77.5 percent from the line in conference games. Four players are averaging over 80 percent from the line. On the season, Chelsee Black and Janae Smith rank second and third in the league. Black is hitting 85.7 percent from the line, 54-of-63, while Smith is connecting on 85.5 percent (71-of-83).
Freshmen Stepping Into Lineup
Freshmen T'erra Lewis and Whytney Singleton have stepped up for the Blazers in the last two outings. Singleton recorded back-to-back career-highs with five points against Charlotte and six points against Old Dominion and was 60.0 percent (3-of-5) from the floor over the two games. Lewis, who is averaging 10.5 minutes per game, matched her season-high with six points in the win over Charlotte. The Montgomery, Ala. native also added a career-high four rebounds in the contest.
