The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Head to Florida for Emerald Coast Classic
11/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (3-1) vs. Illinois (2-3)
8:30 p.m. CST | Niceville, Fla. | Emerald Coast Classic Arena
Live Stats | Listen Live | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On the heels of a three-game winning streak, the UAB men’s basketball team heads south to face Big Ten foe Illinois Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic from Niceville, Fla.
UAB will face either Virginia Tech or No. 4 Iowa State Saturday in the consolation/championship game. The Blazers upset the third-seeded and No. 9 ranked Cyclones last season in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Fans can catch all the action live on CBS Sports Network with Brad Johansen and Doug Gottlieb on the call. Blazer fans can also listen live to David Crane, “The Voice of the Blazers,” on the flagship station for UAB men’s basketball, WZRR-FM 99.5 Nash Icon.
The Blazers registered their 11th straight victory Sunday at Bartow Arena following a 61-55 win over Jacksonville State. William Lee put UAB ahead for good with a layup late in the second half, and the Blazers limited the Gamecocks to only five points over the final 5:38 to hold on for the win.
Sophomore forward Chris Cokley led all scorers with 23 points and nine rebounds to record to his second 20-point game of the season. The Savannah, Ga., native opened the season with a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds Nov. 13 at Auburn.
Cokley enters the weekend ninth in Conference USA in scoring (16.5 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (9.3 rpg). As a team, UAB is averaging 40.8 rebounds per game and 10.8 offensive rebounds per game. In addition, the Blazers lead C-USA in rebounding margin with an average of 8.3 more rebounds than their opponents.
Senior guard Robert Brown is second on the team with 8.8 points per game to go along with 3.8 assists per game. Lee stands third in C-USA with 2.8 blocked shots per game to help the Blazer rank first in the league with 6.5 per game.
Illinois (2-3) snapped a two-game losing streak Monday with an 82-79 victory over Chicago State. The Fighting Illini trailed by eight at halftime, but outscored the Cougars 50-39 in the second half.
Junior guard Malcolm Hill paces Illinois with 17.0 points and 4.6 assists per game, while Mike Thorne Jr. is second on the team with 15.2 points per game and first with 8.8 rebounds per game.
UAB defeated Illinois 59-52 in the 1984 Great Alaska Shootout in the only other meeting between the two schools. The Blazers are 1-0 all-time against Iowa State and 0-1 versus Virginia Tech.
UAB men's basketball home season tickets are on sale now and feature 14 regular season games. Lower level seats are in high demand and are priced at $215 per seat. UAB employee or active members of the National Alumni Society will receive a discounted price of $195. Upper level seats can be purchased for as low as $75. Click here to purchase your season tickets today, or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-8221.
The Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championship is set to return to Birmingham for the second consecutive year, marking the third time the Blazers will host the event. The men's tournament, as well as the women's semifinals and championship, will be played at Legacy Arena in downtown Birmingham, while the women's first round and quarterfinal action will take place at UAB's Bartow Arena.
For more information on UAB men’s basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
