The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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UTEP
Big Second Half Lifts UAB Past UTEP On Thursday
1/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Box Score 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A strong defensive effort combined with a 16-0 run in the second half helped lift the UAB women's basketball team past UTEP, 67-52, on Thursday night in Bartow Arena.
"Overall, I was really pleased," head coach Randy Norton said. "I believe we held them to 15 points under their average coming into the game. I still believe that our defense can be a lot better. I think we had some breakdowns tonight, but that is the sign of a great team. We didn't play perfect, but I thought their effort was there. We played hard, fought for loose balls, crashed the boards. When you do that good things are going to happen."
UAB (10-9, 4-4 C-USA) held UTEP (8-9, 3-5 C-USA) to just 28.6 percent from the field in the second half and outscored the Miners, 35-23. The Blazers used a 16-0 run to lead by as many as 21 points in the second period.
Senior Janae Smith finished with 22 points, her second-straight game with 20 or more points. Junior Chelsee Black added 15 points and six other players scored as UAB shot 44.2 percent from the field and 78.9 percent form the free throw line.
Defense proved to be a strong point for the Blazers as they won the battle on the boards, 38-28, and scored 24 points off 19 turnovers for the Miners. Ten different players grabbed a rebound. Smith just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while juniors Kayla Anderson and Brittany Winborne each added five.
The game got off to a slow start as UTEP held a 5-4 lead over UAB at the first media timeout, 14:54. With the game tied 7-7, senior Miranda Burroughs hit her first three of the game to put the Blazers out front. A stop on the other end and a layup from Smith made it 12-7, UAB with 11:31 to play.
Junior Bianca Dufelmeier added a 3-pointer for the Blazers to go up by three until UTEP found its offensive rhythm and tied the game again, 17-17, with 7:38 on the clock. UAB responded with 4-0 run to regain the lead. Then a 7-0 run for the Blazers stretched the lead to, 30-21, but the Miners put together a 6-0 to cut it to 30-27. UAB held on to its lead heading into the half up, 32-29.
UTEP pulled within one early in the second half, but a 3-pointer for freshman Whytney Singleton to put the Blazers ahead, 39-35. That spurred a 7-0 for UAB as Black hit a jumper in the lane to extend the lead to 43-35 with 13:41 to play.
A layup from Dufelmeier made it, 47-38, as the Blazers matched their largest lead of the game at the 9:58 mark. UAB continued to apply pressure on the defensive end forcing a five-minute scoring drought for UTEP.
The Blazers also picked up the offensive intensity with a 16-0 run during a seven-minute span to take a 58-38 lead with 4:59 on the clock. In the final minutes UTEP cut the lead down to 14, but UAB remained in control as it held on for the 67-52 win.
"As I have told our team, we have been right there all year," Norton stated. "We start to get on a roll and something happens, but I feel like this team can be really special and it all starts with how hard they play and the effort, preparation they bring in. We have the makings to win the league, but you have to take it one game at a time and give it everything you have. Every team we go against is very good, every game is going to be a battle and I think our players understand that."
The Green and Gold will be back in action on Saturday as it hosts UTSA inside Bartow Arena. The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. CT.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
